Offering some of the most spectacular wildlife watching opportunities in Argentina – if not throughout South America – the Valdés Peninsula astounds visitors here with its incredible animal species. Reached in less than two hours on a flight from Buenos Aires, Puerto Madryn is the gateway to this intriguing Patagonian peninsula, a fishing port edged in by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, in which a raft of fascinating marine animals thrives.

It’s no wonder why the Valdés Peninsula has been classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, given the overwhelming populations of marine animals that congregate here on the northern edge of Argentine Patagonia. Protruding from the mainland on the Atlantic coast, the Valdés Peninsula nature reserve shelters both land and marine wildlife that make a safari trip here unforgettable, with colonies of Sea Lions, Magellanic Penguins, Elephant Seals, Guanacos and Maras to get up close to. Above all, it’s where to witness the spectacular Southern Right Whales, which populate the seas here from June to December for breeding season; and, between December and April, the Orcas, who have created an extraordinary preying practice in which they haul themselves onto the beach to snap up unwitting prey.

Aside from wildlife, the Valdés Peninsula is culturally intriguing as a destination to visit in Argentina. The town of Puerto Madryn was once a settlement of immigrants from Wales, and the Welsh influence has persevered ever since the initial arrivals in the mid-1800s. Today, you can hear communities speak the Welsh language, and sample fare from one of the many traditional tea houses in important diaspora towns like Trelew, Gaiman and Trevelin, which is steeped in authentic Welsh culture.