Peninsula Valdes with Whale Watching

For many travellers the boat is the highlight of Peninsula Valdes, and this excursion folds it into the day rather than leaving it as an add-on. After the drive from Puerto Madryn across the isthmus, the tour reaches Puerto Piramides, where small boats leave the beach by tractor and head into Golfo Nuevo. In season the sheltered water is full of southern right whales, enormous, slow-moving animals that breach, roll, slap their tails and sometimes approach the boats out of curiosity. Skippers must keep to regulated distances and routes, which protects the whales, and the experience is more about patience and wonder than chasing. When the boat returns, the tour continues to the wider peninsula, with stops at sea lion and elephant seal colonies, lookouts over the gulf and a lunch break. Whale watching only operates during the whale season, roughly from June to December, so if you travel outside those months you should expect a land-based wildlife day instead, and it is wise to check with the operator before you book. The boat trip is weather dependent and can be cancelled in strong wind.

Southern right whales are one of the great reasons to come to Argentina. They arrive in the protected gulfs of Peninsula Valdes to give birth and nurse their calves, then leave for the cold feeding grounds of the south. Mothers and calves often stay close to the shore, and in the busiest part of the season dozens of animals can be seen from a single vantage point.

On the boat, you will probably spend about an hour on the water, with a commentary in several languages, life jackets provided and a seat on a covered or open deck. Photography is easiest in the calm moments between surfacing, so keep your camera ready and be patient.

Because weather controls the sea, the tour is subject to cancellation by the port authority when winds are too high. Most operators will offer a refund or reschedule if this happens, but it is sensible to schedule the excursion early in your stay so you have a spare day to try again. Motion sickness is rare on the sheltered gulf but possible, so take a tablet in advance if you are prone to it. Dress warmly, because the water is cold and the breeze on the boat is bracing, even in summer.

A full-day tour with the boat included usually costs more than a land-only day, but it saves arranging separate transport and avoids the logistics of reaching Puerto Piramides independently. If whales are the main reason for your trip, this is probably the most straightforward way to see them from Puerto Madryn. Travellers who prefer to stay on land can also try the shore watching at Playa El Doradillo, which is a gentler and cheaper alternative.

It helps to know what the whales are doing. In the early part of the season you may see courting groups, with several animals rolling together, while later the scene is dominated by mothers and calves that stay close to shore and play in the shallows. Calves breach and flap their pectoral fins as they practise, and the large, callused patches on an adult's head, known as callosities, let guides identify individuals. Take a moment to simply listen: on a quiet day you can hear the blows echo across the water.