Let’s be honest here, seeing penguins in the wild is cool. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t love their cuteness, walking spirit or funny behaviour. Go back to the times you visited a zoo, kid or adult likewise, and try think if you could do anything but smile in front of the penguin enclosure. Put a baby penguin next to a baby seal and you’ll definitely end up in a state of cuteness overload. Now, what if we told you that you can literally walk among them in Punta Tombo?
Across South America, there are several locations where you can see penguins but given the size of the “continent” these places are often thousands kilometres apart. On top of it, should you wish not only to see penguins but to walk among them then distances are even longer. Thankfully, visiting Punta Tombo gives you the opportunity to do both in an environment-friendly fashion.
The reserve is a vast shrub dryland
About the reserve
For those who already checked it out on Google, the place known as Punta Tombo is nothing but the biggest colony of Magellanic penguins in the globe. Back in 1979 the peninsula was transformed into the Punta Tombo National Reserve with the aim to protect the species and their habitat. Nowadays, around one million penguins arrive at the reserve to mate and nest on a yearly basis.
Baby penguin sitting just outside its burrow
Opening Times and Entrance Fees
The park is opened from 9am to 5pm all days of the week. That said, during the months when the penguins migrate to feed out in the sea (April to September) the park remains closed.
At time of writing, the entrance to the park is set to 400ARG per foreign adult. There’s no additional fee for getting there with you own vehicle.
Make sure to check the website of the Natural Reserve for the latest updates.
A penguin cooling off in the shadows
How to get there
The reserve is located 185km south of Puerto Madryn (≈2h30min) and 125km south of Trelew (≈1h30min). The best way to get there is to follow the Ruta 3 in direction of Comodoro Rivadavia and then take a turn toward Punta Tombo on the Ruta 75 which will then become the Ruta 1. The last 30km of the road will be on a gravel road until you reach the entrance of the reserve.
ROAD TIP: Sometimes maps.me or google maps will try make you take the Ruta 1 (gravel road) from where it starts in Trelew as that’s supposedly the “fastest route”. If you follow those indications, you’ll go through hell in order to get to the reserve. Don’t attempt to take it!
Guided tour vs. DIY
Unfortunately, reaching Punta Tombo by local transport is not possible, the only options you have is either (A) take a tour there or (B) rent a car for a DIY adventure.
The reserve at its peak hours, get there earl morning or late afternoon
Guided tour – If you don’t worry about route planning, times and don’t mind visiting in groups, a guided tour might be perfect for you. Whether you’re in P. Madryn or Trelew, tours with english/spanish guides are offered from both cities. Expect to spend anything between 2500ARG to 3000ARG per person, depending on the tour company and where you’re starting point is.
TIP: Remember the entrance to the park is often not included in the tour price!
Rent a car – A great option to see Punta Tombo is to rent a car, drive there yourself and visit the place at your own pace. Getting there can be slightly tiring but not having to stick to any schedule definitely makes it a worthy possibility. Above all, even if you plan visiting alone, renting a car for the day is cheaper (≈2000ARG/day) in comparison to a guided tour. Check out the company Car Tours for great prices and excellent quality. If you travel with your own car, on the way back you can also take a stop at one of the many Welsh tea houses in Gaiman !
Penguins walk on and cross over the visitors paths a lot
Things to know
- Inside the reserve the path for visitors is clearly marked by a wire netting.
- Penguins are wild animals and touching them is forbidden. Park rangers enforce that!
- If a penguin decide to cross over the path you’re walking on, it does get priority.
- Always keep at least a 1m distance from any penguin, even if they’re on the visitors path.
- Flash bothers penguins. Just take photos without it.
- Penguins are usually not aggressive at all but they can defend themselves if annoyed.
- Visit when penguins are most active, either early in the morning or late afternoon.
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PLANNING A TRIP TO ARGENTINA? CHECK MORE GUIDES BELOW!
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Fantastic like everything you have reported and photos views etc thanks a lot for enabling me to see such marvellous things you have reported in year-long and wide journeys!