This tour focuses in some of the main attractions Patagonia has to offer: the rich and diverse marine wildlife of Peninsula Valdes; the Glaciers calving down from the Patagonian Ice Field into the big foot mountain lakes; and Ushuaia, the City of the End of the World, featuring its combination of mountains, sea and fjords.
At Peninsula Valdes we will search for the Southern Right Whale which visit the area during its breeding time from mid June threw November; the Magellanic Penguin colonies; the Killer whales (Orcas); Sea lions and Elephant seals; we will also guanacos (lama relative), maras (a kind of local hare) and lots of birds.
At Ushuaia we will visit the National Park, we will sail in the Beagle Channel and we will visit Estancia Harberton and Museo Acatushún, which is a working laboratory for the study of marine mammals and birds of southernmost South America, principally Tierra del Fuego. It holds a collection of over 4000 specimens of these animals, the result of 25 years of beach surveys for stranded or incidentally-netted individuals.
From El Calafate, gateway to Los Glaciares National Park, we will visit the Moreno glacier, which due the advance of its front and the closure of the water passage on the Rico arm of Lake Argentino is one of the most accessible and impressive glaciers of the World. And we will sail Lake Argentino to discover its hidden western glaciers, including one of the 2 biggest glaciers of the Ice Field, Glacier Upsala; also Spegazzini & Onelli.
On arrival we will give you or own printed interpretative guide for the different areas. A local interpreter will help you take the most of your visit to Patagonia wilderness.
Recorremos estos destinos de la mano de un intérprete local especializado, el cual, con la ayuda de nuestra propia Guia Interpretativa de la Naturaleza del lugar, nos hará descubrir los distintos aspectos de la Naturaleza Patagónica.
Day 1 Trelew Airport – Puerto Madryn
Welcome at Trelew airport and transfer to our accommodation in Puerto Madryn. This is a beautiful town in the shores of the Golfo Nuevo (New Gulf) immediately south of Peninsula Valdes. It was established by 1886 since the construction of the railway. This attracted Spanish, Italian and Welsh immigrants which culture still features the area. Hostería double or single room with private bathroom Meals we provide: Welcome dinner
Day 2 Puerto Madryn, Península Valdés
After breakfast we drive to Peninsula Valdes, UNITED NATIONS World Heritage and paradise for wildlife. We start our visit in the Visitor Centre, which is located in the Isthmus Florentino Ameghino, from where we get panoramic views of both New and San José Gulfs. We continue to Puerto Pirámide, small village in the south shores of the Peninsula Valdes. That is our key point to see Southern Right Whales, which visit the area from May thru December. A boat trip allow us to have close up views of the whales. Back in land, we continue our visit to Caleta Valdés, which offers a wide range of both marine and land life, including sea lions. We then visit the Light House of Punta Delgada. We also visit today the Great Salt Depression, possibly the deepest depression of land in South America, and then the Isle of Birds with its incredible variety of birds. We get back to Puerto Madryn by 6 pm. Hostería double or single room with private bathroom Meals we provide: Breakfast and box lunch
Day 3 Punta Tombo Penguin colony. Gaiman.
This day we’ll go to Punta Tombo, the biggest continental Magellan penguins’ reservation, if the tour is taken between the months of September and March (since this is the season when they arrive to the area). If it is taken in any other time out of the range of months we’ll go to Punta Loma, where we’ll watch the colony of sea wolves. In the afternoon we will visit Gaiman, a beautiful town founded by the Welsh community in 1870. It still maintains its traditions and original architecture. Later we go back to Puerto Madryn. Hostería double or single room with private bathroom Meals we provide: Breakfast and box lunch
Day 4 Trelew – Ushuaia
Alter breakfast we transfer to Trelew airport to take our flight to our next destination, Ushuaia. The flight follows the Atlantic coastline. The city of Ushuaia, in the Isle of Tierra del Fuego, is located at the foot of the Andes Range and on the shores of the Beagle Channel. The combination of mountains and fiords is one of the big attractions of the area, together with its variety of wildlife and birds and the traces of the original cultures that inhabited the area. Hostería double or single room with private bathroom Meals we provide: Breakfast and dinner
Day 5 Tierra del Fuego National Park & Beagle Channel boat trip
In the morning we visit Tierra del Fuego National Park, 15 km away from town. Here the Andes form a group of mountain ranges with deep forest cover valleys. Rivers and streams alternate with turba soils. In the coastal sector of the National Park Bahia Lapataia and Bahia Ensenada offer an ideal habitat for seabirds. The National Park is in the southwest corner of the Argentinean section of the Island.
In the afternoon we take a boat trip in the Beagle Channel. The trip takes us to Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, the Seal's Island and the Isle of Birds to see Magellanic Cormorants, Imperial Cormorants, Giant Albatrosses, Fullman Petreles, Petreles, Squas and 20 different species of sea birds. Later, we sail through Paso Chico, way back to Ushuaia, with the magnificent view of Mount Le Martial and its glacier. Hostería double or single room with private bathroom Meals we provide: Breakfast and box lunch
Day 6 Estancia Harberton, Museo Acatushún
Estancia (estancia is the local word for “Ranch”) harberton was built by the Anglican missionary Thomas Bridges in the XIX century, it is the oldest construction of the island and the first estancia. The descendants of Mr. Bridges still run the place, which has become a site of historic interest in the province.
We will explore the surroundings and we will visit the Acatushún Museum, which contains the skeletons of South-American birds and sea mammals, among other exhibitions. The museum is a working laboratory for the study of marine mammals and birds of southernmost South America, principally Tierra del Fuego. It holds a collection of over 4000 specimens of these animals, the result of 25 years of beach surveys for stranded or incidentally-netted individuals. The collection contains the skeletons of 21 species of small cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises, beaked whales), six species of large whales, seven of seals and sea lions and over 80 species of birds, as well as a few land mammals.
We get back to Ushuaia in the evening. Hostería double or single room with private bathroom Meals we provide: Breakfast and box lunch
Day 7 Ushuaia – El Calafate
A short flight takes us from Ushuaia to Calafate. Id there are no clouds, we will be able to see the spectacular Darwin Range and its snow caped mountains as we leave them behind. After flying through the Magellan Strait and the Patagonian high plains, we arrive to El Calafate, gateway for Los Glaciares National Park.
Thbis picturesque village has grown rapidly upon the tourist activity. It is located at the shores of Lake Argentino and you can see the mountains from anyhigh point of the town.
Time permitting we will visit Laguna Nimes Natural Reserve fro birdwatching. Otherwise, time at leisure to visit downtown and shop some souvenirs. Hostería double or single room with private bathroom Meals we provide: Breakfast and dinner
Day 8 Moreno Glaciar
The Moreno Glaciar is 285 square kilometres and it is one of the big sheets of ice descending from the Patagonian Ice Field. It became famous when at the beginning of the XX century its front started to move forward across the Rico arm of Lake Argentino and eventually blocked the water passage. After some time, the pressure of the water on the far end made the ice wall to collapse offering an amazing demonstration of Natural forces. Since then, the frequency of this phenomenon made this glacier to be known worldwide.
So today we head towards the Magellan peninsula to visit the glacier. Upon arrival, a short walk offers us different and spectacular views of the glacier and the Rico arm of the lake. Great chunks of ice break off the 60 meters high front wall of the glacier and crash down into the lake in spectacular fashion. We should be able to get close up to the glacier’s edge, along some newly constructed trails, for terrific views of this huge glacier.
We drive back to Calafate in the late afternoon. Hostería double or single room with private bathroom Meals we provide: Breakfast and box lunch
Day 9 Lake Argentino boat trip. Glaciers Upsala, Spegazzini and Onelli
Today we drive to the Port (Punta Bandera) to take our boat trip across Lake Argentino. This huge lake receives all the water of Los Glaciares National Park. Towards west, the lake shows several arms, most of them receiving some of the most important glaciers of the Ice Field. Among them, the massive Upsala Glacier, whichs flows down 60 km from the Ice Field. We will visit Upsala, Spegazzini and Onelli glacier. Please take not that our access to them can be limited by the icebergs.
We get back to Calafate late in the afternoon. Hostería double or single room with private bathroom Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and farewell dinner.
Day 10 Calafate Airport
Alter breakfast, we transfer you to Calafate airport in time to take your flight.
End of services.
9 nights accommodation (3 at Puerto Madryn, 3 at Ushuaia & 3 at Calafate) in hosterias double or single room with private bathroom.
9 breakfasts, 6 box lunchs or lunchs, 4 dinners.
Local interpreter on Nature subjects; a printed guide to Patagonia Nature.
Excursions as shown in the program.
Incoming services, transfer in and out to local airports.
Not include:
Local flights.
Drinks (all meals are without drinks)
Tips.
Entrance fees to National parks and Natural Reservations.
Airport & Port taxes.
Services not included in the program.
Radical and life insurance.
Notes
Camino Abierto holds the right of changing the itinerary or cancel any of the activities when any natural cause (or any other cause of any type) justifies it in order to look after the group safety.
