 Península Valdés, Argentina
Península Valdés is an important marine mammals conservation sanctuary in Argentina. It was turned into a World Heritage Site during the 23rd session of the World Heritage Committee, which met from 29 November to 4 December, 1999, in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Much of Peninsula Valdes is barren, safe for a few estancias where sheep are reared. The coastal areas are an important nature reserve.
What to See in Península Valdés
There is a high concentration of marine mammals in Peninsula Valdes including the endangered southern right whales. Other mammals found here include the southern elephant seals and the southern sea lions. Killer whales or orcas are also found here. Apart from mammals, there are penguins and other birds.
Photos of Peninsula Valdes
 Peninsula Valdes, Argentina Author: Claudio Elias (public domain)
 Ruins of Sao Miguel dos Missoes, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Author: Reinhard Jahn, Mannheim (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 Germany)
 Southern Right Whale, Peninsula Valdes Author: Michaël CATANZARITI (public domain)
The animals found further inland include rheas, guanacos and maras. The bird life documented in Peninsula Valdes totals 181 species, of which 66 are migratory.
Location
Peninsula Valdes is in the province of Chubut, Argentina.
World Heritage Site Inscription Details
Location: S42 30 0 W64 0 0
Inscription Year: 1999
Type of Site: Natural
Inscription Criteria: X
Visiting this Site
The gateway to Peninsula Valdes is Puerto Madryn. However, you should use Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, as your base. Find your accommodation in Buenos Aires, and then get your hotel to help you make arrangements to go to Peninsula Valdes. I recommend Buenos Aires rather than a smaller Argentine city, as you will have more options there. In Buenos Aires, there will be plenty of tour packages to choose from, according to the amount of time and your budget.
Here's a comprehensive list of Hotels in Buenos Aires with online booking facilities. In addition, I also provide you here a list of Hotels in Puerto Madryn with online booking, so that you can reserve accommodation before you get there. Booking is provided by HostelBookers, so there is no booking fee involved.
Getting there
You can book a tour to Peninsula Valdes from Puerto Madryn, the main town just south of the peninsula. The main town on Peninsula Valdes is Puerto Pirámides. However, there may not any tour agents in Puerto Pirámides, so it is safer to book the tour at Puerto Madryin.
Book Hotel Rooms in Argentina and Worldwide
Click here also for a full list of hotels in Argentina or hotels worldwide. If you prefer budget accommodation in hostels, guesthouses or inns, check out hostels worldwide for budget accommodation providers with online booking.
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