Puerto Pirámides is a village of a few hundred people on the shore of the Golfo Nuevo, on the Valdés Peninsula in Patagonia, and it is the best place on the continent to meet a whale. From roughly June to December, southern right whales come into the sheltered bay to mate and give birth, and tour boats set out from the beach to watch them. The peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the richest wildlife areas in Argentina, and the village is its small and very friendly gateway. The name comes from the pyramid-shaped cliffs near the shore.
The ride from Puerto Madryn is about a hundred kilometres across flat, windswept steppe. Most of the main road is paved, with long straights and gentle bends, and the riding is easy, though crosswinds can be strong and the road is shared with tourist buses in summer. Beyond the village, the roads that circle the peninsula are mostly gravel, with loose stones, soft patches and long distances between settlements, so the going is slower and needs more care. The best months for wildlife are September to November, when the whales are most active, and the weather is cool and bright.
An unusual feature of the village is the huge tidal range. At low tide the sea retreats far across the beach, and boats are launched by tractors that drag them out over the sand. It is a curious sight, and the beach is a good place to sit with a coffee and watch the activity. A few cafes, restaurants and guesthouses cater to visitors, and there is a small shop, though prices are higher than on the mainland. Fuel may be limited, so fill the tank in Puerto Madryn, and carry some extra if you plan to tour the peninsula.
The peninsula is rich in animals. Sea lions and elephant seals lounge on the beaches, Magellanic penguins nest in colonies, and guanacos, rheas and Patagonian hares roam the steppe. At the northern tip, in March and April, killer whales sometimes charge up the shingle to catch sea lion pups, a behaviour seen almost nowhere else. There is a park fee for the reserve, and rules about distance from the animals, which are strictly enforced. Spend time on the beach, watch the tide, and you may see a whale breach in the distance.