Puerto Madryn

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Argentina

$28.99

Shop Book

Right whale breaching the water in the Peninsula de Valdes.

©Foto4440/Getty Images

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Puerto Madryn

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

The gateway to Península Valdés, Puerto Madryn is Patagonia's star destination for marine wildlife watching. With a beachfront location, it's also a pleasant place in itself. While the city bustles with tourism and industry, it retains a few small-town touches: the radio announces lost dogs, and locals are welcoming and unhurried. With summer temperatures matching those of Buenos Aires, Madryn holds its own as a modest beach destination, but from June to mid-December visiting right whales take center stage.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

EcoCentro

Puerto Madryn

Celebrating the area’s unique marine ecosystem, this masterpiece brings an artistic sensitivity to extensive scientific research. There are exhibits on…

Museo Oceanográfico y de Ciencias Naturales

Puerto Madryn

Feeling strands of seaweed and ogling a preserved octopus gives a hands-on museum experience here. The 1917 Chalet Pujol features marine-and-land mammal…

Reserva Faunística Punta Loma

Puerto Madryn

Home to a permanent sea-lion colony and cormorant rookery, the Reserva Faunística Punta Loma is 17km southeast of Puerto Madryn via a good but winding…

Observatorio Punta Flecha

Puerto Madryn

Run by Fundación Patagonia Natural, this whale-watching observatory sits 17km north of Puerto Madryn on Playa el Doradillo. It offers tourist information…

View more attractions