Bariloche and Peninsula Valdes Wildlife Watching Trip

Fly into Puerto Madryn and head straight out to Punta Tombo, a penguin rookery south of the city. Hundreds of Magellanic penguins waddle about on the beach there, and the first afternoon is already worth the flight. Punta Tombo is its own stop, separate from Peninsula Valdés, which comes tomorrow. Then back to Puerto Madryn for the night.

A full day on Peninsula Valdés, a wildlife refuge. The road crosses the Carlos Ameghino Isthmus, a narrow strip of land between the San José Gulf and Nuevo Gulf. At Puerto Pirámides you can go whale watching for Southern right whales from June to December, and at Punta Pirámide see sea lions from December to March. Lunch is at the Punta Delgada lighthouse, above the cliffs. At Caleta Valdés the elephant seals weigh 1 to 3 tons and reach up to 6 meters long. On the way back, Bird Island has telescopes for flamingos, gulls, petrels and other birds.

Today the Atlantic is left behind. A bus takes you inland from the coast to Esquel, a small Patagonian town and the gateway to Los Alerces National Park. On arrival you transfer to the hotel and check in. This is a travel day and nothing more, and tomorrow is deliberately left open so nobody has to be anywhere.

Breakfast at the hotel, then nothing is scheduled. After three days of moving, the free day does real work, and it sets you up for the long day in the national park tomorrow. Esquel is a small Patagonian town. The one optional extra is La Trochita, the Patagonia Express steam train, a scenic ride for anyone who wants it.

Your guide and driver take you through Los Alerces National Park for about 8 hours. The route passes Futalaufquen Lake, the Arrayanes River, Verde Lake, the Menéndez River, Chucao Pier and Menéndez Lake. The stop that matters is the Alerzal Milenario, a stand of alerces, the Patagonian cypress (Fitzroya). One of them is over 3,000 years old, 60 meters tall and 2.6 meters across. Transportation back to the Esquel hotel is included.

The second bus ride runs from Esquel to Bariloche, the gateway to the Patagonia Lake District. More scenery along the way, and the road finishes at Nahuel Huapi Lake. Check in to your Bariloche hotel. That completes the crossing: the Atlantic coast on day one, the Andes lake district on day six.

An 8-hour excursion to Cerro Tronador, one of the iconic peaks of the Patagonia Lake District. The route passes lakes, forest and the Pampa del Huenuleo, then follows the Manso River to Pampa Linda. Nearby is the Ventisquero Negro glacier, and you can walk around the base of Cerro Tronador.

There is time for lunch, then the same route back. Expect to be at your Bariloche hotel by late afternoon.

Set out from Nahuel Huapi Lake for the Llao Llao region: the San Eduardo Chapel, Llao Llao Municipal Park and Tacúl Village. A viewpoint over Moreno Lake comes next. Then Campanario Hill, where the chairlift takes you to the top and the cafeteria looks out over the whole region.

Back in town, you transfer for your return flight or your bus ride to the next destination.