Puerto Madryn is the base for one of the best wildlife rides in South America, and the town sits on the Golfo Nuevo, a wide blue bay on the Atlantic coast of Chubut, a flat, windy, treeless stretch of Patagonia. About sixty-five thousand people live here, enough to guarantee fuel, supermarkets, mechanics and decent restaurants. It is also the starting point for the Peninsula Valdes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with roads leading to colonies of sea lions, elephant seals, penguins and, in season, whales.
The ride from town toward the peninsula crosses open steppe, a sea of low grey-green scrub under an enormous sky, with long straights and gentle curves. The tarmac on the main roads is good, but the real challenge is the wind, which can blow hard and unpredictably, and gravel sections on side roads require care. At the entrance to the peninsula there is a fee, and speed limits are enforced to protect wildlife, which often crosses the road. Early morning and evening bring the best light and the most animals, while midday can be hot and glaring. Be careful of guanacos and rheas on the road.
The town has a history that surprises visitors. In 1865, a group of Welsh settlers arrived on the ship Mimosa, hoping to establish a Welsh-speaking colony free of English rule, and they landed here before heading inland to the Chubut valley. Their descendants still live in the region, and in nearby towns such as Gaiman you can drink tea and eat cake in Welsh tea houses. The town is named after Love Jones-Parry, Lord Madryn, a Welsh supporter of the project, which gives a distinctly unexpected flavour to the Argentine coast.
The nature is the main attraction. From roughly June to December, southern right whales come to the sheltered bays to breed, and they can often be seen from the shore. Magellanic penguins nest at Punta Tombo, a few hours south, and sea lions and elephant seals lounge on the beaches. The air smells of salt and kelp, and the sea glitters in the sun.
Fill up in town before heading out, carry water and sun protection, and plan for strong wind. The distances are long and services are limited, but the wildlife is worth every kilometre.