Puerto Madryn - Valdés Peninsula
Chile 2023
Today we’re heading out to ride around the Valdes Peninsula.
The peninsula is included on the UNESCO list for “its unique and rich fauna.”
Perhaps our expectations were too high, and at first we didn’t like it there.
Entry to the peninsula is paid, $8 per person.
The guanacos on the peninsula were hardly afraid of us at all
We started from the upper observation deck in the north of the island, Punta Norte.
Most people hope to see orcas on Valdés.
They say the orcas lie in wait to hunt sea lions that rest on the shore.
Serzhyk dreamed of seeing an orca, but it’s probably a great rarity....
First stop, Punta Norte viewpoint
Far away on the shore, sea lions lie in groups.
An information board stating that the last time orcas were seen was on October 22...
After Punta Norte, we headed further south.
We wanted to drive along the coast, but this part of the road was closed, so we first drove back, and then turned off and drove through the center of the island.
The second stop is the Caleta Valdes viewpoint. Here, too, sea lions lie on the shore in the distance.
After Caleta Valdes, we continue along the coast.
It started to get interesting here, as all the other cars completely disappeared. We were driving alone and didn’t meet a single person.
Serzhyk suggested stopping a couple of times at random spots and taking a walk.
There was a very beautiful coastline and lots and lots of sea lions!
No viewing platforms. Just open space. Go wherever you want.
We continue south. On the way, we saw a rhea. There they are, in the distance, running away from us.
At first, we thought they were ostriches. Then we read about rheas.
The coastline reminded me of Tarkhankut in Crimea....
Many, many sea lions below
We watched them for a long time (such a pity we didn’t have binoculars again). We saw the little ones swimming in the ocean.
Our last stop is the salt lake. The salt here has a pink hue.
We left footprints... When you walk on the salt, it feels very much like ice. It cracks, and you sink into the mud.
I broke off a piece of salt from the surface. I was very curious what it was like.
Our route for today — we covered a total of 416 km! The peninsula is enormous.
