Península Valdés
Right whales breaching within sight of the beach, elephant seals sprawled on the sand and the only orcas on Earth that beach themselves on purpose to hunt: Valdés is a marine sanctuary you explore from behind the wheel.
Suggested stay — 2 to 3 nights
Tied to the mainland by a 35 km isthmus, UNESCO-listed Península Valdés is a steppe laid on the ocean: you drive dirt tracks among guanacos, maras and armadillos, from one animal colony to the next. The absolute star is the southern right whale, which comes to calve from June to early December in the sheltered gulfs — from Puerto Pirámides, the peninsula's only village, boat trips approach mothers and calves to within a few metres, under strict rules and with engines cut.
The rest of the year and of the peninsula belongs to the pinnipeds: elephant seals in heaps at Punta Delgada and Caleta Valdés, sea lions everywhere, and at Punta Norte the rarest phenomenon in the animal world — orcas that deliberately strand themselves on the beach to snatch a young sea lion, a unique hunting technique observable in February-April on the big tides. Add the Magellanic penguins (September-March) at Estancia San Lorenzo or, further south, the immense colony of Punta Tombo, and you have a complete marine safari.
Don't miss
- A whale trip from Puerto Pirámides, early morning when the sea is glass (June-December)
- The elephant seals of Caleta Valdés and the gravel spit advancing into the ocean
- Punta Norte at high tide in February-April to try for the beaching orcas
- The Magellanic penguins of Estancia San Lorenzo or Punta Tombo (September-March)
Our tips on the ground
- Sleep in Puerto Pirámides rather than Puerto Madryn: you're on the spot for the morning whale trip and the peninsula is yours before the day-trip buses arrive.
- The interior tracks (a loop of about 200 km) are dirt and washboard: raise your caution a notch after rain — the clay turns to ice rink, and the rental agencies know it very well.
- Check the tide tables before Punta Norte: the orcas only attempt a beaching at high tide, and outside February-April the odds remain a lottery ticket — the elephant seals, on the other hand, are guaranteed.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Argentina Self-Drive”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Península Valdés
When is the best time for whales at Valdés?
June to early December, with the heart of the season in September-October: the most mothers with calves in the gulfs, softening weather and every boat operator running. In July-August you can also watch from the shore (El Doradillo, near Puerto Madryn, is famous for whales 50 m off the beach), but at sea the wind cancels trips more often.
Can you visit Valdés without an organised tour?
Yes — and that's the whole point of having a car: you pay the reserve entry, drive freely from point to point and stay as long as you like at each colony. Only the whale-watching boat requires an operator (in Puerto Pirámides, bookable the day before outside Argentine holidays). Fill the tank in Puerto Madryn: there's a single pump on the peninsula, at Pirámides.