A remote sea kayaking adventure offering the opportunity for close encounters with wildlife in the Peninsula Valdes Nature Reserve. Home to a number of species including sea lions, various sea birds, penguins, and the rare but majestic southern right whale, you are sure to spot wildlife on this active camping adventure. At the end of the day, sleep in tents under the spectacular Patagonian sky.
Arrive today to the Trelew airport and meet your transfer to your hotel in Puerto Madryn. Meet your guide for the next four days and take part in a safety briefing and equipment check.
Day 2: Peninsula Valdes Kayaking
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Early this morning leave Puerto Madryn towards the San Jose gulf located on the north side of the Peninsula Valdes Nature Reserve. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, the reserve provides important natural habitat for a number of species including sea lions, Patagonian foxes, armadillos, guanacos, Magellanic penguins, and numerous others.
After an hour and a half, arrive to Punta Tehuelche where your kayaking adventure begins. Paddle eastwards in search of Cerro Monticulo, your stop for lunch. Paddle past sand and stone beaches combined with rocky formations and cliffs that plunge into the ocean which create prime nesting places for various sea birds. Enjoy small sea lion colonies en route as well as the southern right whales that shelter themselves in San Jose's waters.
Continue paddling along the beach at leisure towards the end of the day. Feast on a typical Patagonian lamb barbeque and fall asleep with the background ambiance of whales huffing and blowing in the gulf.
Day 3: Punta Conos and El Puente
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
After breakfast, set out from camp for a big kayaking day! Today you paddle towards Punta Conos and El Puente (the Bridge), a maritime rock formation. Conos, names after the cone-like hillocks in the area, boasts a huge concentration of marine fossils. Observe the fossils embedded in the soil of ancient species that used to inhabit the region.
Due to a plunging coastline, you are able to paddle just a few meters from cormorant and black crowned night heron nests. Paddle through El Puente and arrive to a small beach for your seaside lunch and much needed leg stretch. After resting, set sail again to visit a large single-hair sea lion colony nearby. Enjoy the curiosity of the sea lions who tend to swim right next to your kayaks trying to catch a peek of you! Head back to the beach and your camp for the late afternoon and evening.
This morning pack up camp and drive to Puerto Piramides to visit the small village. Here board a boat whale-watching excursion, and with any luck witness one of these magnificent creatures swimming alongside the vessel. The population of southern right whales comes here to breed between June and mid-December. After being hunted to near-extinction during the heyday of the whaling industry, the southern right is now one of the most rare whales in the world. After lunch, drive back to Puerto Madryn where you overnight.
Day 5: Return Buenos Aires
1 Breakfast
Transfer back to the Trelew airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires or on to your next region in Argentina.
This itinerary is no longer available. For other trip ideas, please visit Argentina Tours & Cruises.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Jane was my AE agent for the 2 months of helping me decide that this will be the most amazing trip we will ever experience in our lifetime and a memorable way to celebrate our 40th!
I was also able to work with Mike from Quark who was also very helpful.
Once I had decided to go ahead with my booking Kevin took over to assist Jane while on vacation.
Kevin was able to tweak the quote even more
and truly sealed the deal! He was patient with receiving my full payment as it took time to “round up that much cash” Were booking a delux balcony and there’s no looking back
I feel confident and very satisfied that I have made the best decision choosing Quark Expeditions and look forward to a top notch experience aboard the Ultramarine.
Both Jane and Kevin are sincere, professional and courteous. They met all of our needs
to ensure my process was stress free.
I’m looking forward to all our daily excursions then enjoying a Sauna and my own cold plunge in the tub! My back up plan
to the “Antarctic Plunge”
I look forward to getting to know and dealing with Mary Rose for all the final details that will make our trip complete. Great company!
Sandy with a “y”
4 months ago
Erin was great to work with! Very quick with her replies and provided all the information I needed, no matter how many times I changed my request! This was my first time ever planning a trip like this and it couldn't have gone better.
Chris
5 months ago
Very well organiced.
Great communication
Easy to handle website for required docs to file .
Pleasant Experience
Nancy Kaierle
5 months ago
Very well ececuted. Hily recomended. Great experiance
Nancy Kaierle
6 months ago
The entire experience was great. Erin really knows her stuff and provided me with a lot of great insight and advice.
