Puerto Madryn
We leave the peninsula to go to " Puerto Madryn ".
Before leaving, we met a couple of travelers from Montpellier in a camper...
The world is really small .... Of course we exchanged information and ideas. We should meet again on the road as we’re going in the same direction « Ushuaia ».
Our program of the day is changed. We wanted to go to Playa del Doradillo.
On this beach you can admire the whales from the coast, just being quietly laid on the sand. But unfortunately the access road is closed in one direction, forcing us to make a major detour. In addition, it is low tide and wildlife observation is difficult.
All in all we join " Puerto Madryn " to drop our laundry and do a resupply.
After lunch we go to the " Provincial reserve of Punta Loma ".
This magnificent reserve, created in 1967, was the first of its kind in the Chubut region. The site hosts a colony of sea lions, also called Patagonian seals.
The white of the rocky walls of the cliff, the black of the beach and the turquoise water of the gulf make the landscape superb.
Quiet evening outside the city, known for attempted theft in motorhomes.
Peninsula Valdes
Night less cold than the previous one, but 7° anyway ... The sun is expected in the morning.
This allows us to reach the north of the peninsula. Same unasphalted road only ripio. To drive in better conditions, we drive on the sidewalks.
The "Punta Norte" is home to a huge colony of sea lions.
They come every year from October to give birth in the peninsula. The young are born with a black fur, which protects them until the first moult.
Males have got harems, which they defend by fighting and roaring in impressive ways.
Between February and March, orcas try to catch the baby sea lions that are learning to swim. The hunt for this predator is an impressive spectacle and in this season, the crowd is present.
We will not see orcas, but sea lions and sea lions.
The wind is freezing, which makes us go back to the campsite for tea.
Peninsula Valdes
This morning at 6:30 am the outside temperature is 3° and inside 14°... Our little extra heating has been purring for a good part of the night.
Today’s weather is better: 12° with sun and cold wind.
En route to "Punta Piramides " 5 km from our campsite.
During the whale season, it is possible to observe them from the coast. A huge number of whales appear, jump, show their tails or show us their powerful breath.
Unfortunately for us it is low tide, the sea is rough and we can only see them in the distance ... We are a little fustrés and we hope to see them on other points of observation.
The "southern right whale" is the largest mammal on the planet, it chose these temperate and shallow waters to mate and calve here every year.
Peninsula Valdes
The map given to us by the tourist office is very detailed ... Points of view, places where the different animals gather, timing of the presence of groups, number of kilometers between each point ...
One thing is certain: roads are "ripios" or gravel roads. Driving is not easy and the speed varies between 20 km/ h and 50 km/ h.
Today we choose to go to " Caleta Valdes ".
This long gravel beach is a real motherhood of sea elephants.
A path runs along the beach and allows us to observe them close enough.
They can stay there for three months without feeding, but they have a thick layer of fat that is accumulated to protect them from the cold and resist fasting. The elephant seal actually spends most of its time in the water, diving to feed on fishes and squids.
On the way we stop at "Punta Cantor" to see the extraordinary colony of Magellan penguins, this curious bird that does not fly.
A mixed sky accompanies us in the morning to become more sunny in the afternoon. The distances are not long, however it takes us 2 h to drive 90 km in one direction and the same for the return.
Our fellow traveller does not like these roads and he suffers a lot ... So do we !
At night, the temperature drops down to 5°
The weather forecast for the next day is freezing: Maximum 8° and rain.
We stay warm all day in our motorhome
Peninsula Valdes
Last straight line to reach the " Peninsula Valdes ".
Few places in the world allow to observe as many animals in their natural habitat as here.
A sanctuary of nature so exceptional that it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.
There is only one village, Puerto Pirámides, on this plateau of 4000 km2 swept by the winds of Patagonia.
When tourists leave in the late afternoon, the peninsula returns to nature, marine mammals and birds who take refuge along 110 km of shores on the Atlantic side and 150 km along the Nuevo and San José gulfs.
The combination of warm currents from Brazil and cold currents from the Falklands ensures maximum conditions for food and breeding.
The Valdés peninsula thus becomes a gigantic maternity for whales, sea elephants, sea lions, birds...
It was discovered by the Spanish crown at the end of the 18th century, when the king decided to populate the almost unexplored Patagonia.
A small settlement was founded in 1779, a fort built, which will be destroyed by the Indians in 1810.
The first measures to protect the environment were taken in 1967 with the creation of a reserve on part of the peninsula. It was later expanded and the peninsula is now a protected area under provincial jurisdiction.
After a detour to "Puerto Madryn" for the supply and withdrawal of liquidity, we join the village of "Puerto Piramides".
Camping is strictly forbidden, we settle in the municipal campsite which is open and free until October 1st.
We go through the tourist office that gives us all the information and spots where we can see the animals
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