Puerto Madryn is shaped by its coastal setting on the Golfo Nuevo: the beach, beach resorts, and calm waters give trip planning a clear local focus. Diving and nautical activities add to the picture of the town. If you’re looking for a hotel, you can first decide whether you want your stay to focus mainly on the urban coastline or also on nature in the wider Biedma travel destination.

Beach and activities in Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn stretches along a five-kilometer stretch of beach on its urban coastline. Five beach resorts line the shore, offering a range of nautical activities. The beaches of Puerto Madryn have calm waters on the Golfo Nuevo.

Stand-up paddleboarding takes place on the calm waters of the Golfo Nuevo. The gulf also hosts windsurfing competitions and group outings, depending on skill level and experience. Diving is another outdoor activity in Puerto Madryn. The options therefore vary by activity and its conditions: skill level and experience matter for competitions and group outings, while stand-up paddleboarding makes use of the calm waters. Diving offers its own focus on outdoor activities.

Getting there and finding accommodation

El Tehuelche Airport (Puerto Madryn) is located on Ruta Nac. A010, acceso Norte 0, (9120). Check flight schedules before you travel.

The wider Biedma travel destination

In the wider Biedma travel destination, the Área Natural Protegida Península Valdés covers 887,775 hectares of Patagonian steppe, plains, and plateaus. The protected area’s Ramsar wetlands include the Golfo San José and the Golfo Nuevo, and serve as feeding and resting grounds for resident and migratory birds. The Península Valdés Biosphere Reserve includes the Área Natural Protegida Península Valdés, the Área Natural Protegida Punta Loma, and the Área Natural Protegida Punta León. UNESCO describes Península Valdés as a globally significant area for the conservation of marine mammals. It is home to breeding populations of endangered southern right whales, as well as significant breeding populations of southern elephant seals and South American sea lions.

Wildlife-watching opportunities in the wider Biedma travel destination also vary by location and season. At Punta Norte, orcas can be seen seasonally, especially in March and April, deliberately beaching themselves to hunt young sea lions. At Caleta Valdés, orcas can be seen in October and November, when southern elephant seal pups are present there. In the El Doradillo nature reserve, you can watch whales from the shore from June to October. Check these seasonal periods before you travel. Seasonal wildlife in the wider Biedma travel destination also includes a colony of Magellanic penguins at Caleta Valdés; they breed there from late September to mid-April.

For the broader travel overview: Viedma.