Holiday Breakdown

Day 1

Buenos Aires

On arrival in Buenos Aires you will be met at the airport by your guide. You will then be taken to the accommodation, level – 3-4* (local hotel); where we will have lunch and unpack. In the afternoon we will enjoy a short journey to the Costanera Sur Nature Reserve. Here you will get a glimpse of some of the wildlife which inhabits the north of Argentina before we head south in the open pampas. We have a good chance of spotting coypu, Pampas cavy, Hillarys side-necked turtle, black tegu lizards as well as many bird species like chalk-browed mockingbirds, great Pampa-finch, black-and-rufous warbling finch, spectacled tyrant and many many more. We will then head back to the accommodation where we will have a welcome to Argentina meal.

Day 2

Peninsula Valdes

Today after our breakfast we will catch a flight south from Buenos Aires to Trelew which is well and truly in Patagonia. We will be transferred to our accommodation, level 3-4* (local hotel). After some lunch we will leave to pay the Punta Tombo penguin colony a visit. This is a huge colony and the largest Magellan penguin colony in the world. At this time of the year the moulting season is just ending and most of the penguins are leaving or have already left but there is still a good chance of finding plenty around here as we walk in between the old nest sites. We will have our evening meal back at the accommodation.

Day 3

Peninsula Valdes

Over the next couple of days we will be searching for the orca which make this peninsula so famous. In March and April the orca are here to prey on the sea lion pups which are entering the water the first time. But it is the hunting technique they use which is absolutely amazing. Immortalised in the BBC series The Trails of Life the scenes of orca rushing the shoreline and temporally beaching themselves in order to catch the sea lions in the surf is exactly what we are looking for here. We will visit Punta Norte, Puerto Piramides and Caleta Valdes over the next two days to try and see this behaviour. However it is very much luck if we see any orcas making an attack. There are plenty of other animals here though and the guanaco, mara, southern elephant seals, southern sea lions, Argentine grey foxes, hairy armadillos, Darwins rhea, elegant-crested tinamou, Magellanic oystercatchers and many other species should keep us well entertained. We will probably have a packed lunch before heading back to the accommodation, level 3-4* (local hotel) for our evening meal.

Day 4

Peninsula Valdes

Today we will visit any areas of Peninsula Valdes that we did not visit yesterday as we continue are search for the orca and hope to be witness to their amazing hunting behaviours. We will probably have a packed lunch again and head back to the accommodation, level 3-4* (local hotel) for our evening meal.

Day 5

Bahia Bustamante

After breakfast we will leave Peninsula Valdes and head further south along the spectacular Patagonian coastline until we reach Bahia Bustamante and our accommodation, level – guest house / cottages; we will have lunch and then the rest of the afternoon is for you to explore the surrounding areas. This is one of the smallest and most beautiful of all Patagonias towns and you will enjoy the relaxing atmosphere as well as the wealth of life around here from steamer ducks, Magellanic penguins, southern sea lions, southern giant petrels, orca, as well as another 70 plus bird species which are regularly seen. We will have our evening meal in a local guest house or restaurant.

Day 6

Puerto Deseado

After breakfast we will enjoy some birding, along the Patagonian coastline before being transferred further south to Puerto Deseado where we will check into our accommodation, level – guest house. This afternoon will be at your leisure as you can scan the sea for more orca, southern right whales, Commersons dolphins, southern elephant seals, snowy sheathbills, dolphin gulls, Royal terns, black-browed albatross and many other marine birds and mammals. We will enjoy our evening meal in our accommodation or a nearby restaurant.

Day 7

Puerto Deseado

After breakfast we will explore some of this coastline which Charles Darwin visited himself during the voyage of the Beagle. We will take a boat trip out to try and get up close to some of the marine mammals and birds of the area such as Commersons dolphins, southern sea lions, Magellanic cormorants, Megallanic penguins, red-legged cormorants and possibly orca. We will have our well deserved and last Patagonian meal in our guest house or a local restaurant.

Day 8

Buenos Aires

Today we will catch a flight back to the Argentine capital after breakfast. Once we get to Buenos Aires we will check into our hotel, level 3-4* (local hotel) and the rest of the afternoon will be for you to explore the city and its many sights. This is one of the most atmospheric cities in the whole world and an hour or two exploring its many streets is a magical experience. Our last meal will be served in our accommodation.

Day 9

Home

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport in time to catch your return flight home.

Please note that the itinerary stated above is correct as our planned intentions for the tour. However adverse weather conditions and other local considerations can necessitate some modifications of the itinerary during the course of the tour; any changes will be made to make the best of the time and weather conditions available to us.

This tour is available on different date (subject to availability) please contact us for more details about running this tour on a date which suits you more.