Valdes Peninsula

Geographical location

The approximately 3625 km ² large Valdes Peninsula (Spanish Península Valdés ) is located in the Argentine province of Chubut on the Atlantic coast.

It is a nature reserve and was set in 1999 by UNESCO on the World Heritage List. The Península Valdés consists mostly of barren landscape and some smaller salt lakes, those with 35 meters is the deepest point of the peninsula 's biggest below sea level.

Of particular importance is the peninsula because of the marine mammals that cavort on its banks and to their coasts. These are on the coast sea lions and elephant seals. The southern Golfo formed by the peninsula and a headland of the Patagonian mainland Nuevo is a habitat of the southern right whale. This Bartenwalart comes in the second half here to procreate and bring their young into the world, as the water in the gulf is quieter and warmer than in the open sea. In the open sea, off the coasts of the peninsula, even orcas live ( Orcas ).

There are several colonies on the coasts of Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus ), which are not so great as the. Punta Tombo, but still very interesting for the animal lover The most amazing thing about these penguins is the lack of any fear of the people. You can take them up at arms length without them flee or show threatening gestures. You have to give even care that it does not occur on the feet of them, so guileless these birds. These Magellanic penguin colonies live peacefully in close proximity to the mighty elephant.

The interior of the peninsula is a hot and dry steppe landscape with knee-high bushes and burnt by the sun, dry grass tufts. Despite the climate it is populated by many animals, such as the rhea ( South American ostrich ), the guanaco ( relative of the llama ), the Maras and the armadillo.

The only inhabited place on the peninsula is the village of Puerto Piramides.

Until recent years, the Argentine army held several bases on the peninsula. Even today there are about remains of a runway at Punta Norte. Reason was partly military conflict over the Falkland Islands.

Puerto Piramides on Valdes Peninsula

Magellan penguins on the coast of Valdes. An elephant seal females with young can be seen in the background

ACA petrol station on Valdés

Magellan penguins on the beach of Valdés

The lighthouse at Punta Delgada

The only place Puerto Piramides

Southern right whales before Valdés

South American sea lions