5 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
2 hours and 30 minutes by bus from Puerto Madryn
When to go
In September and October
Minimum stay
One day
Punta Tombo (Argentina)
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Karen
Practical information about Punta Tombo
Reviews of Punta Tombo
Punta Tombo is Argentina's penguin paradise on the Atlantic coast of Patagonia.
My suggestion:
As Punta Tombo is a really popular tourist spot I recommend you go there early in the morning or at the end of the day.
Summary:
When I went to Punta Tombo I was expecting to see lots of penguins, obviously, but I was also surprised by the quantity of other animals there are on this peninsula. More than a million penguins stop off there. They walk very close to visitors and don't seem at all disturbed by them.
The spectacle is magnificent: you can see penguins of all ages freely living in their natural environment, going backwards and forwards between the water and their nests, bringing food to the youngsters. You can hear them crying. It's a wonderful, moving spectacle that I recommend to families, but also to all wild life lovers.
If you are a photographer then Punta Tombo is the place to be: beautiful, rare animals living in liberty and yet very close to the visitors... It will make your heart leap for joy!
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Karen
180 km from Puerto Madryn is Punta Tombo and the biggest penguin colony in the world.
My suggestion:
The best time to come is in September and October when the colony is at its biggest. 1 million penguins! A magnificent spectacle.
Summary:
I went from Puerto Madryn to see that miracle of nature during my trip toArgentina. Although I usually travel alone, it is two or three times cheaper to get there by using an agency than by hiring a car.
So, early one morning, I left for Punta Tombo, which every year is home to the biggest penguin colony in the world. In August, about a million of them start arriving here from the Atlantic Ocean. When I was there only about 30,000 had arrived on the beach. I followed a path through their burrows. They are really cute and not at all bothered by the visitors. Its really funny to see them waddling about. Some of them were sleeping after their long voyage. Sometimes they emit a really weird cry from the bottom of their throats. It must make a heck of a noise when all the colony is there. The first to arrive are the males, who prepare the nest. Then the females arrive to lay the eggs which the couple incubate for 40 days. In March they go back to sea before coming back the following year.
This is an absolutely unique spectacle which you shouldn't miss under any circumstances!
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David Debrincat
298 travellers' photos
