Hello Addicts ! Ugh, it's been a while since I wrote on the blog. But we are here .... today I come to tell you about my last trip and one more dream I have achieved. A month ago I undertook a road-trip, what we call a long-distance car trip, by land, in this case by Argentinean roads, to the south, to Patagonia.
In this case it was a trip with one of my best friends and her parents, we left the city of Buenos Aires, to take national route 3, we spent the night in the city of Bahia Blanca, but the total trip to reach the city of Puerto Madryn, province of Chubut, takes between 16/18 hours, as you know it will depend on the speed and stops you make. If you do the trip this way, from the city of Carmen de Patagones, to the south, the value of gasoline begins to fall, so you can take advantage of filling the tank in that area and you will save some good pesos per liter. Remember to make all the checks to your car before leaving on the road and especially the condition of the tires because you are going to find yourself in several parts of the road and the destination with gravel terrain.
Here I leave a LINK where you can download the map of the city, just keep in mind that the Google Maps app, allows you to download the map of the city without internet connection, and also the route to get to the city. And this is extremely important because on the way there are many kms without phone signal. That's why it's good that you have, besides Google Maps, Waze, which is working better. Be careful, these routes are not quiet at all, in general they are very busy with truck traffic.
(If you see this sign, on the road, in the queue I left my Adicta a Viajar sticker, if you see it, send me the picture, don't be mean :)=)
I wanted to tell you a recommendation that my old man gave me, and he was right, how nice it is to get to the city of Puerto Madryn, at dusk or at night and see all the lights and the sea. You will also be greeted by a very characteristic port smell, remember that in this city the fishing activity is the most important, along with the industrial park and also has cruise activity, in the corresponding season, therefore tourism in all its splendor, is a great source of economic income for the city.
When I arrived I was surprised by the great amount of constructions and modern buildings. It has a beautiful waterfront and beautiful beaches, I tell you that the water you see belongs to the Argentinean sea in the Atlantic Ocean. This city, as of this year 2022, is said to have approximately 123000 inhabitants. It is said that it was founded in the year 1865, on July 28, by Sir Thomas Duncombe Love Jones-Parry, of Welsh origin and promoter of the colonization, this date is said to be when the first 150 Welsh arrived.
It has an area of 108 km2, is almost at sea level with 17 meters, if we talk about its geography, most of it is plateau, cliffs, and pebble and sandy beaches. Because of the location, it is characterized by an arid climate, we can talk about an average annual temperature of 13-degrees, there are usually many windy days. It is a great destination that I would recommend to go on summer vacation, for several reasons, for example, good apartments for rent, variety of tourist accommodations, beaches and divine sand, pleasant temperature, gastronomic activity par excellence, adventure tourism and especially nature, and many activities at sea. For example nautical sports such as kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and moto-skiing.
But well, the main reason most of us visit the city is to see the Southern Right Whale up close! This species of animal is unique and incomparable. Although it is not the only one you can meet, it is also the ideal place to meet penguins, birds, elephant seals, dolphins, among others.
But let's talk about seasons, it is a destination with marked months of high demand. The date of your trip will be defined by you, but let's think, if you are looking for prices and to see whales, August is a good month, where there are already several with their calves, and the prices are still "low". But if you want to see not only whales, sea lions and elephant seals, but also penguins, I would recommend September to November. In this LINK I leave you a calendar with the months and times of the fauna, so you know when you are going to find them. Keep in mind that these are also the most expensive months in terms of all tourist services.
Speaking of which, I will pass on some recommendations:
FLIGHTS
- There are flights from the city of BSAS, to the city of Trelew and take a transfer, approx. is 1 hour trip and the value in low can be $ 2,200 (ARS) / USD 7, but in high can go from $ 4200 (ARS) / USD 14 approx. round trip. Another option is to take direct flights to Puerto Madryn, at the moment the same companies mentioned below operate both routes. The tickets can be with the flag carrier Aerolineas Argentinas, the same in high season from $ 40,000 / USD 133, or with FlyBondi from $ 31000 (ARS) / USD 103. And in low season with AR (Aerolineas Argentinas) in $ 18800 (ARS) / USD 62, or with FlyBondi $ 16000 (ARS) / USD 53.
ACCOMMODATION
- In my case, for the first time in my travel life, I have stayed in an apartment. I am going to recommend it to you, with the only condition that you say that you are going on my behalf. You have the option of booking through Booking, or you can write me and I will give you the direct contact, and I'm sure it will be a little cheaper. The apartment is located two blocks from the beach and very close to downtown, close to everything.
An idea of price, in August we paid about $ 13000 (ARS) / USD 43 per person, being 4 guests, for 5 nights, very good price. In high season maybe they pay that value but for 3 nights, just to give you an idea.
- If we talk about hotels, we can talk about some like: Australis Yene Hue, Dazzler Puerto Madryn, Rayentray, Territorio and a lower category Hotel de Playa Vida (I recommend the latter also for bike rental even without staying, they charge 6 hours in low season approx. $1500).
* Note: if you like biking do not miss it, because the waterfront is ideal, with great views! On some stretches, the whales will accompany you on the way, and it's a good exercise to get down all that you have eaten hahahaha
Personally, I recommend, if you are without a car, to stay in the center, if you have a car, you could go to hotels far from the center, without problems. There are cabs, remises, and the truth is that I saw few buses. If you don't have a bus, I recommend renting a car, or else, you can use the agencies you trust and hire all the excursions and transfers.
GASTRONOMY:
The truth is that it is very good in general, in this article I will give my recommendations, which you can not miss. There are others, but today I am going to highlight these and I will surely upload some more in the IG stories.
- Craft Beer, Burgers and much more I recommend "Cerro Parva", very nice atmosphere, music, and very good prices and a super attention, the guys with the re good vibes. You can look for it with that name on INSTAGRAM and see more details.
- For breakfast or a snack, without hesitation, "EAT WELL", the deco of the place is beautiful, for example a submarine with a slice of apple pie is around $600!
-To eat by the sea, you can go to "Bistró de Mar Náutico", ideal to eat seafood and fish, the value is a little more expensive, but it is delicious, I liked it. We are talking about the approximate price of a starter, dish and drink, about $3000/$3500 (ARS) / USD 11.
- Another place for drinks, beer, seafood, and a little bit of everything is "James Beer", in my case I had a campari, and for dinner I had hake with mashed potatoes, but there is pizza, salads, snacks, everything.
Be aware that before 21:00 they usually have happy hour.
- Finally, for me a novelty, since I had never had vermouth in my life, you can not miss and do not forget to book in advance by WhatsApp, in "Shrimp Bombay", they offer the tapa of the day with a glass of vermouth today at $550 (ARS) / USD 1, 80, and then for example, I tried pizza made in the typical Neapolitan style, cut with scissors, I ordered a classic margarita, for about $1800 (ARS) / USD 6, it is ideal for tapas, I do not know if it is a hearty dinner, but for snacks I would recommend it. Another recommended dish is the Gran Pulpo Colorado, which comes in an iron pot, hot.
Excursions:
Well, if we talk about the most important and recommended excursion is to go to Peninsula Valdes. As you will see in the map below, inside the peninsula is Puerto Piramides, from where the whale watching boats leave. The travel time from Puerto Madryn is about 1 hour.
When you enter the peninsula you will be charged an entrance fee of $. Below I leave the table with the 2022 rates, and the LINK to the official website so you can check before you go the values. Bring cash to pay this fee.
This place is a Unesco World Heritage Site and is protected and cared for. The Valdes Peninsula is a coastal accident on the Argentinean sea, it presents a portion of land of almost quadrangular contour joined to the continent by the Carlos Ameghino isthmus. Peninsula Valdes receives the largest breeding population of southern right whales, with more than 2000. The region contains six nature reserves, and is considered one of the main and most important whale watching destinations on the planet, along with Puerto Madryn.
Today I share with you a little bit of my experience with @puntaballenas which treated us super well, from start to finish, I want to congratulate them 👏🏻 and super recommend them. You can write them by IG or WhatsApp and make your reservation in advance. Below is the website with the link . Did you know that Ladi Di, yes, she, made the sighting with Jorge Schmid when he visited the city? In the web you can find the proof. With them you can also go on photographic outings, nautical trips and snorkeling. In my case I was looking for a safe boat, and I found them. I traveled on the ODIN, which has a capacity of up to 72 people.
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