Penguin colonies and baby seals in Patagonia

Two months into my stay in Argentina and we were finally leaving Buenos Aires; indeed, we had only left the city itself once in that period, when we spent Christmas and New Year in the coastal town of Villa Gessel. In the past two years or so I have rarely stayed in one place for so long and as nice a time as I was having staying with Ailín’s family, I was ready to start exploring.

One thing worth emphasizing in regards to Argentina is that it is big, really fucking big. I am no stranger to a map but I completely failed to appreciate the size of this country until I arrived here. Our trip to the coast for the holidays in December involved a seven hour bus ride and on that occasion we hadn’t even left the province of Buenos Aires. Consequently, this trip that will take myself and Ailín across much of Argentina will involve numerous enormously long bus rides - the survival of which is something that I may well write about more specifically in the future.

On this occasion the bus from Buenos Aires to Puerto Madryn took nineteen hours in total. The buses themselves are comfortable enough, with plenty of legroom and reclining seats. Given the temperatures at this time are often in the high thirties, and occasionally sneak over the forty degree mark, most important of all is the air-conditioning. Infact, this is so effective that it creates the opposite problem and one needs extra layers to avoid shivering from the cold.

Puerto Madryn is the largest town in the area and used by many as a base for day-trips to the numerous surrounding attractions. The city itself is pleasant but not particularly special; a long beach extends the entire length of the town and bars and shops litter the simple town center.

Perhaps the most interesting and surprising aspect of the town - and others in the surrounding area - is its connection to Wales. At one end of the beach one can find the Welsh flag flying proudly alongside that of Argentina with information explaining that the town was originally founded by 150 Welsh colonists in 1865. Consequently, a version of Welsh is still spoken in the area and cafes selling Welsh tea cakes are popular amongst locals and tourists alike. Indeed, the first version of the Argentinian flag planted here - and still flying today - contains the famous Welsh dragon at its center instead of the sun of the traditional blue and white flag.

Puerto Madryn is no bad place to stay and relax but in reality it is overshadowed by the attractions around it and is used by most as a jumping-off point and a place to sleep. Many tour companies offer day trips to these locations at unreasonably high prices and given neither myself nor Ailín can currently drive, we were initially resigned to paying these extortionate fees.

Fortunately, when we arrived at our hostel after the long bus ride we recognised two other faces from the journey and struck up a conversation. Quentin and Clara were a couple from France and there to see all the same attractions as us but with the intention of renting a car; they kindly offered to let us join them for half the cost of the rental. We, of course, quickly agreed and had found not just a cheaper way to spend the next couple of days, but with excellent company. (To emphasize the extortionate prices of the tour companies, over two days we saved 20,000 pesos (£140) by sharing the rental car).

Our first day on the road took us to Punta Tombo and, despite it being our first stop of a two month journey, may well be the best. Punta Tombo is a section of the coast that is home to a large colony of penguins. The signage stated that in 2016 there were around 160,000 mating pairs of penguins there, although a guide told us that number was considerably lower this year.

Nevertheless, it makes for a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience. One walks along the marked path and everywhere you look is another penguin. In holes under the ground, in bushes, under the footpaths and bridges, next to the benches, and even just walking down the path amongst the visitors. Whilst there were plenty of visitors it was by no means crowded and the penguins were clearly adjusted to sharing their space with a small number of relatively unintrusive guests.

Just to see one or two penguins would make the visit special but as one carries on along the path the numbers keep growing and growing until reaching the final viewpoint over the endless stretches of beaches. There large groups of penguins gather, relaxing on the beach and occasionally jumping in the water to swim and presumably search for food too.

The penguins of course steal the limelight but it is important to remember to look up and appreciate what is in itself a remarkable landscape. Perfectly clear blue waters calmly lap up onto sandy beaches which back on to an endlessly green backdrop. The fact those beaches are inhabited by tens of thousands of penguins (and many guanacos too) is almost indescribable; it is like walking into footage from the discovery channel, with only the soothing tones of David Attenborough missing.

Punta Tombo is only one of many locations for seeing the huge range of local wildlife, of which penguins are just one. The area is also hugely popular for whale watching as they go there to mate; unfortunately not at the time of year of our visit though. However, one group of animals that do remain is the seals and for that myself, Ailín, Quentin and Clara headed to Peninsula Valdes.

In most countries a peninsula would likely be a small jutting area of land one can explore by foot, but in Argentina nothing is small and even the peninsula is up to one hundred kilometers across. Not only that, but the roads are almost entirely uneven gravel paths which makes moving around a slow affair when you have a standard, small car like we did.

After a slow drive - involving us being overtaken by many 4x4s - we arrived at Punta Norte, the location of a viewpoint at which visitors can watch over colonies of both sea lions and elephant seals. We were not disappointed and after parking the car could immediately hear the many barks of the animals long before we could see them.

Like the previous day, the landscape is similarly beautiful although far less tranquil thanks to the different inhabitants there. Not only was the volume higher, but so too was the levels of aggression with the male elephant seals constantly ready to fight another who even looked too closely at one of their many female companions. Littered amongst the adults were a huge number of baby seals: small, black, slug-like creatures that clung closely to their mothers. Further down the beach, the sea lions kept to themselves more peacefully and were particularly notable for their size; the males in particular are far taller than any human with their vast bulk making them truly enormous creatures.

After three years or so of travelling I had never seen anything comparable to these places. I have seen a lot of natural beauty and remarkable landscapes but to witness these animals in their natural habitats is a unique experience we have been fortunate to have. With the next two months or so taking us through the mountains of Patagonia and the deserts of the north we have many wonderful sights to see, but this first stop will be hard to beat.

Posted: 02/02/2022

Written by: Tom Taylor (@tomtayloor)