South & Central America

Peninsula Valdes

Peninsula Valdes is a World Heritage Site and one of South America’s finest game viewing regions and this unusually shaped spit of land that sticks out into the deep waters of the South Atlantic ocean is home to a huge variety of marine and land-based wildlife, but the principal attraction are the Killer whales that are renowned for their extraordinary beach assaults in search of prey (December to April) and Southern Wright whales that come to breed in the warmer and more protected waters around the peninsula from around July to mid-December.

Other highlights include the magellanic penguins, sea lions, elephant seals, Commerson’s dolphin, guanacos, rheas and a wide variety of other sea birds.

It was at the height of the wool boom in the early 18th Century that sheep were brought over to Patagonia from the Falkland Islands and sheep prospered. This resulted in the clearing of the indigenous peoples and the setting up of vast private estancias (farms) by settlers from around the world, but in particular from Wales and the Welsh speaking communities such as in Trelew and Puerto Madryn are still thriving today.

Our preferred hotels and lodges are:

Estancia Rincon Chico (Peninsula Valdes)
Estancia La Elvira (Peninsula Valdes)
Faro Punta Delgado (Peninsula Valdes)
El Pedral Lodge (Peninsula Valdes)

Peninsula Valdes Hotel (Pto. Madryn)
Solar de la Costa (Pto. Madryn)
Villa Piren (Pto Madryn)