Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Take the Great Patagonian Experience you will see all the wildlife available, go to a penguin colony and have lunch on a ranch.

Visited: Mar 12, 2016

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Probably our best excursion to see the Magellanic penguins at Punto Tombo, something we nearly missed due to poor weather, requiring a last minute decision by the captain to get the ship in. A long drive (2.5hrs) but worth it to see these lovely, calm and friendly creatures.

I've struggled with my review of our visit to Puerto Madryn, Princess' Paleontology Museum & Punta Loma, primarily because of my physical limitations during our visit. The Punta Loma Reserve protects numerous sea lions and sea birds who live on a beautiful section of coastline. Visited on your own, the bluffs would provide a quiet encounter with the Pategonian shore. During the drive, our guide described the Welsh heritage of the region. I didn't tour the Paleontology Museum but, based on what I've heard and my wife's pictures, it's a place I'd want to explore. What I did see during our excursion encourages a return visit to Puerto Madryn.

A World Heritage Site, a long and bumpy ride to see the seals, sea lions, penguins and more, but well worth it.

Visited: Jan 20, 2019

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Honestly the city itself is not that attractive other than the beautiful beaches. Once two miles out of town you are in the desert and it was that way all the way to the destination of our excursion, Punto Tombo. We only saw one town on the way out there and this was where a river went through the town. The countryside near that city was beyond filthy, litter and garbage everywhere. Rusted out cars, washers and dryers just lying everywhere. It was one of the filthiest areas I have ever been in. But Punto Tombo was a 5. The beach and the penguins were fabulous. It was 85 degrees that day and the penguins were looking for any shade they could find. We only had a little over an hour which was nowhere near enough time to do the area justice. You need to walk as fast as you can to the end of the walkway because the best areas are once you get to the ocean where you see the thousands of penguins interacting with the ocean, swimming and playing in the water and on the beach. So many babies and a bright sunny day made for excellent pictures. I wish we could have stayed for several more hours. Our ride back was uneventful, and the excursion lasted right up until the time we needed to be back on board, so we did not see much of the town of Puerto Madryn. There were hundreds of people enjoying the summer sun on the beach though and they looked like they were having a lot of fun.

Visited: Dec 17, 2018

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