Puerto Madryn: Puentes Destination Guide

Puerto Madryn, a city located on the Patagonian coast in the province of Chubut, is an incredible destination for anyone interested in nature, wildlife, or scuba diving. Just north of the city, you’ll find the Peninsula Valdés, which is considered an UNESCO World Heritage site. In Puerto Madryn and the surrounding areas, you can see southern right whales, orcas, sea lions, elephant seals, Magellanic penguins, guanacos (Argentine llamas), and more. Welsh immigrants first arrived in Argentina in the 1800s via Puerto Madryn and later set up Welsh colonies expanding through the province of Chubut. We recommend 3-4 days in Puerto Madryn to be able to take advantage of all the excursions available.

HOw to get there

Most flights leave from Aeroparque and land two hours later in El Tehuelche (PMY), about 15 minutes away from Puerto Madryn, or Almirante Marcos A. Zar Airport (REL), located about 45 minutes away in Trelew. You can search for flights on Despegar.

You can also reach Puerto Madryn by long distance bus, which takes about 19 hours. Buses generally leave from the Retiro terminal; schedules and prices can be found here.

WHERE TO STAY

Most travelers choose to stay in Puerto Madryn or Puerto Pirámides. Puerto Madryn is a bigger city with more amenities, restaurants, and tourist agencies and located about an hour from Peninsula Valdés, where excursions such as whale watching take place. Puerto Pirámides is located in the Peninsula and is much smaller, with just a few restaurants and amenities, but closer to the wildlife excursions.

In Puerto Madryn, we recommend El Gualicho Hostel, El Faro Hostel, and La Tosca Hostel. In Puerto Pirámides, we recommend Océano Patagonia and Hotel de Nómade.

WHAT TO DO

This calendar shows the wildlife that may be visible during the month you plan on traveling.

Go whale watching in Puerto Pirámides to see the southern right whale in the wild or view them directly from the Playa El Doradillo beach during high tide (from June to December).
Take a submarine through the waters of Puerto Pirámides.
Snorkel with sea lions right in front of the Punta Loma Sea Lion Reserve in Puerto Madryn (year-round).
Scuba dive, no previous training necessary (year-round).
Check out Punta Tombo, the biggest land colony of Magellanic penguins in the world (from September to March).
Visit the Welsh colony of Gaimán for traditional Welsh pastries.
Visit the Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio (MEF), one of the most important paleontological institutions in the world, in Trelew to learn about dinosaurs. On your way there, stop at the replica of the world’s largest dinosaur (discovered by scientists from the MEF) along the highway.
Take advantage of the clear night skies and participate in astronomy tourism.