Thursday, March 15, 2012

Puerto Madryn - Patagonian Tundra & Coast Line

I feel like I’m in a boat; bumping and heaving across a sea of green shrubbery. My boat sways gently from left to right, as it crosses a vast sea of Patagonian tundra. The views here are unexciting at best. The waters are calm leaving nothing but a barren horizon – one can see the curvature of the earth from this course. There are no trees or mountains to guide you, there is only plain. Orange and grey soil allows only for hearty and rugged plant life to grow leaving little to look at; Just an ocean of flat land.

It is hard for me to fathom that only a few clicks away and a few moons past, I discovered a marine oasis; that within this barren sea of shrubs lies a coast line so rich with wildlife, one cannot travel without spotting the movement of some sort of highly adapted animal. This landscape is extreme. It punishes its inhabitants with extreme temperature ranges, unpredictable weather, and little to eat or drink. I find it astonishing how many animals call this Chubut province home. From sealions, to whales, to foxes and penguins, the coast line just beyond my current horizon is an amazing one. This is where mammals come to breed. This is where killer whales come to feed. And this is where my bumping bus is now leaving. I am now saying good bye to Puerto Madryn and Penninsula Valdes, and saying hello to the Portenos of Buenos Aires.

Puerto Madryn is the main city in the Chubut province. It also is the jumping off point to many of the outlying wildlife reserves and meccas, mainly Punta Tombo and Penninsula Valdes. The city is unassuming, and often times is overlooked by zealous tourists, but without good reason. The beaches here are decent, the town has acceptable shopping, eating and drinking options, and the tours are nothing short of amazing. One is able to swim with sea lions, go on jeep excursions, rent a bike, lie on the beach, or march with penguins here, but for many, the stopover is short. I recommend Hostel Tosca where the people are helpful, the breakfast homemade and the hammocks lie in grape leaf shade.

The tours offered here mainly cater to two wildlife hubs, Penninsula Valdes and Punta Tombo. Punta Tombo, approximately 125km from Puerto Madryn, is home to the largest colony of Magellanic Penguins in all of Argentina. Many companies have tours and private transfers to and from the reserve. The animals in this region tend not to be scared of people and will happily walk right past you on their way to wherever. This carefree attitude continues north to Peninsula Valdes, where sea lions howl at you, foxes dine with you, and armadillos happy sip out of water provided. Valdes is another 100 km north of Madryn, but it’s the drive around the peninsula that can be a killer. Bring food and water.

Besides the otherwise barren landscape, the coast along the Chubut region plays host to an amazing amount of fauna. On the right day, the waters are turquoise and the whales feeding. On an off day, expect wind and rain. The Chubut region definitely is an amazing spot for wildlife, and for those wishing to experience it. I recommend it as a destination within Patagonia. Cheers.

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