PATAGONIA AZUL

Welcome to  Patagonia Azul!!!

Upon arrival at  Comodoro Rivadavia  Airport you will show up at the car rental office located within the airport to pick up your car and start your Patagonian adventure. 
You will drive south along Route # 3 towards the city center and after 11 kms (16 minutes drive) you will arrive at your selected hotel.  Check-in, accommodation and free time to discover the city.  

COMODORO RIVADAVIA - CAMARONES 260km - 3h 40min - Route # 3 & Route # 30

Breakfast at  your hotel.
You will head north along National Route 3 towards Camarones. 74 kilometers east of Route # 3, this town  attracts for its natural environment, abundant fishing and its historical sites. To admire the simple picture of the stone houses and corrugated sheets of Camarones, you will pass a couple of curves and the open view of a cross perched on a tower will appear. The circular monument remembers the first European adventurer who reached these shores in 1535. The Portuguese sailor Simón de Alcazaba y Sotomayor decided to explore this sheltered bay, perhaps dazzled by the variety of features that shape the coast: pebble and sand beaches alternate with the sandbank with its breaking waves, edges rocky outcrops, cliffs and the folds of the reefs populated by mussels, clams, octopuses and scallops, which the sea soaks with each of its onslaughts. Welcome to the historic town of Camarones!!! Upon arrival, check-in at Cabañas Viento Azul. 
At 4:00 p.m. -  Take your car and drive 28 km south along Route # 1  (unpaved road) to visit Cabo Dos Bahias on a 4 hour tour. The Cabo Dos Bahías Wildlife Reserve protects a colony of Magellanic penguins of over 30,000 individuals. The first penguins arrive to the coast at the end of September. They reside in the colony until the beginning of April when the last specimens lost at sea return to their nests announcing the arrival of spring. The males are the first to arrive and occupy their nests, to then give way to the arrival of the females.  Once at your destination, you walk along a long walkway towards the sea, from where you can appreciate the penguin colony and study their behavior without disturbing them. The wandering of the guanacos along the coast cut out by reddish stones, which contrast with the blue of the sea, make the landscape even more attractive.  On your way back, visit Caleta Sara and explore the red rock coastline on foot. 
For dinner, we suggest visiting the restaurant "Alma Patagónica" on the corner of Julio A Roca and Sarmiento, which serves typical and tasty dishes and has an atmosphere that is a small sample of the essence of Camarones, a typical recycled Patagonian mansion, full of stories and mystique.

CAMARONES 

Breakfast can be served on an optional basis if requested the previous day.  We suggest a visit to the local grocery at "Casa Rabal" dating  to 1901 and walking distance from your cabins, to buy all necessary ingredients for a fantastic home-made breakfast.

Today you may select from the following  OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES  (weather permitting):

DOLPHINS WATCHING  AND MARINE FAUNA ENCOUNTER 
Navigation through the waters of the Bay towards Islas Blancas observing colonies of sea lions, imperial cormorants and a great diversity of seabirds. During  the navigation you will probably observe plenty of southern dolphins and in certain occasions right whales or humpback whales in transit. 

HISTORICAL WALK
A walking tour through the history of Camarones that links the life of the Estancias to the sea. A story linked to the childhood of General Perón, the agricultural activity, the first Spanish foundation and the environmental conservation.

LEONES ISLAND AND LIGHTHOUSE
Sailing to Isla Leones and crossing a capricious coast you will visit a colony of very curious sea lions that usually approach the boat.  Once at the island you will  walk to the lighthouse while you learn about its history,  its unique octagonal construction with double circulation and its bronze dome of French origin.  Back to Camarones you will navigate through Caleta Hornos where the first foundation of the New province of León in the XVI century took place.
Regular departures: Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Duration: 6 to 8 hours depending on the weather. 

CAMARONES - BAHIA BUSTAMANTE - 88 km - 2 hour drive along Route # 1 

After preparing or ordering your breakfast,  you will check out and start your drive south towards your next destination:   Estancia El Sauce of the Rewilding Argentina Foundation, a  cattle ranch in its transition to a natural reserve, which is the portal to the great Patagonia Azul Park.

Take Route #1 (gravel)  and after 8 km from Camarones  you will find the entrance to the ranch (on your left).  Drive another 4 km to the Cañadón del Sauce where you can take a short walk to the  viewpoint. You will come across the old ranch house - today the center of operations for the Fundación Rewilding Argentina - where they work to create a natural reserve.  Your tour continues in the vehicle heading south for another 30 minutes towards the coast, along a path where you will learn and appreciate  how they manage the transition from a cattle ranch to a natural reserve. Thanks to this change, today a large amount of steppe fauna can be spoted on the  road, such as guanacos, rheas, maras and gray foxes. Upon reaching the coast, an imposing landscape will open up in front of your eyes!  The light green of the steppe vegetation contrasts with the red of the rocks, the green of the intertidal system, and the deep blue of the sea.  From the 360° viewpoint you can see Leones Island to the northwest, San Gregorio Lighthouse, Pan de Azúcar Island in front of you and Melo Bay with its abandoned algae village to the south.  We suggest you take a lunch box to enjoy at the beach if it is a nice day, or on the plateau under an evergreen tree sheltered from the wind. 
Back in your vehicle to the entrance, you will take Route # 1 to your left and start your way towards Bahía Bustamante - 88kms/2 hour drive.

A few km before reaching Bahía Bustamante, there is an intersection, take the road that goes to the left (there is a sign that says Bahía Bustamante). The other road leads to RN 3. Further on, another fork appears, take the road that goes to the left (there is also a sign). The other road leads to Puerto Visser. Once at the Lodge, you will begin to walk along Gracilaria Avenue, with the sea on your left. In front of the vineyards, you will find the "Antigua Proveeduría", signposted with a sign that says Hostería where you will be  welcomed and checked-in. 
If it has rained recently, check the state of the road before leaving Camarones. We recommend fueling up and buying supplies if necessary. 

BAHIA BUSTAMANTE

Founded in the 1950s as a seaweed harvesting establishment by Lorenzo Soriano, a Spanish immigrant and grandfather of the generations that currently run the Lodge, had more than 400 seaweed collectors and their families living there. Bahía Bustamante worked actively with a school, church, police, grocery store, club and everything that a small “town” and its inhabitants needed at that time. The stay at Bahía Bustamante Lodge also allows you to enjoy a trip to the past and discover the life of the pioneers in this remote site of Patagonia.
Here the silence is only interrupted by gusts of wind, the song of hundreds of birds and the breaking of the waves on the coast. The sea on one side and the infinity of the steppe on the other. In this area, luxury means access to the immensity of its nature, pure and forceful, the genuine identity of its history and its inhabitants. Bahía Bustamante Lodge preserves the essence of the place and maintains a balance with nature. The houses of the first settlers were reconditioned to welcome guests, preserving their austerity and simplicity, keeping alive the spirit of those who arrived here more than 60 years ago.
Compared to the Galapagos Islands by the New York Times, Bahía Bustamante is one of the most relevant places to enjoy bird watching in Atlantic Patagonia.

Today you can chose from the following activities: 

NAVIGATION
To discover the colonies of sea lions and seabird 
THE PENINSULA
White sand beaches, crystal clear waters and huge reddish rock formations that contrast with the intense blue of the sea, stand out.
PENGUIN ISLAND
Just 15 minutes from the Lodge, this island is home to a colony of Magellanic Penguins.
CAPE ARISTIZABAL
A wonderful tour in 4×4 until you reach the Cape, a rocky point with imposing landscapes, views of the open sea and hidden beaches.
STONE CANYON
Fascinating trekking through an immense canyon, following the path of a dry river until it reaches the ocean.
HISTORICAL TOUR
Introduction to the algae industry
SELF-GUIDED TREKKING TRAILS
and Mountain Bike in Graviña Peninsula.

Horseback riding, private navigations and much more !!!

BAHIA BUSTAMANTE - COMODORO RIVADAVIA 176km - 3 h 30 min - RP 1 y RN3  

Early departure to Comodoro Rivadavia to arrive at your hotel around 10:30AM and drop your car at the hotel garage.  Your tour guide will be waiting  to start  your journey in a special 4x4 vehicle to the untouched terracotta paradise of "Rocas Coloradas", of impressive natural beauty and extreme archaeological value.

ROCAS COLORADAS NATURAL PROTECTED AREA
A journey through the petrified forest, red lagoon, mount of meteorites and the coast of the Rocas Coloradas Protected Natural Area, located between Puerto Visser to the north (65 km from Bahía Bustamante) and Bahía Solano to the south.  A coastal area of 30 km of extension that includes the marine space up to the isobath of 80 meters of depth, to the south of the Patagonia Austral Coastal Marine Interjurisdictional Park.     An incomparable landscape of extremes between the Patagonian desert of unlimited colors and shapes  and the coast of the deep blue Argentine Sea.

Back at your hotel, the evening will be at your leisure to try one of the many seafood restaurants of the city.   We suggest a visit to the neighbouring village of Rada Tilly and haveing a drink & tapas at the "IN" bar at the beach. 

COMODORO RIVADAVIA - DARWIN CAMP - 300 km - 4 h 45 min via RN3, RN281, RP47, RP85

Coordinates 47°53'14.9"S 66°27'11.9"W

After breakfast and check-out at your hotel, your adventure today involves a long road across the Patagonian steppe, heading to Camp Darwin, located at the foot of Cerro del Paso, 110 km from Puerto Deseado, on the southern bank of the Ria Deseado, in the Province of Santa Cruz.
Spending three nights in this remote place is the ideal plan for travelers looking for an experience of NATURE, ADVENTURE and PERSONALIZED SERVICE in an environment with large doses of peace and tranquility, framed by the beauty of this crack that cuts across the oldest massif in America.  An imposing estuary, its canyons full of history and unforgettable characters, the immensity of the steppe, the enormous wealth of marine and steppe flora and fauna.

You will arrive in the afternoon,  check-in and  start the tour through the "Casco de la Estancia" (Ranch House). Introduction to the place, visit to the facilities of the old Estancia Cerro del Paso, visit to the shearing shed, the stable, self-guided trails. Welcome dinner.
During your stay at Darwin Camp, you have full board and many optional activities to do, depending on the weather and tide conditions.  Enjoy!!!

DARWIN ECO CAMP

After breakfast, you will follow the FOOTSTEPS OF CHARLES DARWIN
Morning departure on an excursion through the immense steppe until discovering that great crack that surprised Charles Darwin so much in 1833. Tour of the site where he camped out with his team; you will visit the triangular rock that Martens immortalized in his drawings and continue the visit to the canyons of cave paintings  and strange stone formations like  the Virgin and the bird. In the afternoon visit to the  General Store  by the river and learn about the amazing history of this hidden place. 
 

DARWIN ECO CAMP

Breakfast at the lodge. Today you will venture to meet the rockhopper penguins!!!

Isla Pingüino (Penguin Island) is located southeast of Puerto Deseado. Normally this tour starts very early in the morning to take advantage of the hours with less wind intensity. After an hour of navigation in open waters, with a good dose of adventure, you will arrive at the fantastic Penguin Island, declared a Marine Park for being one of the sites with the greatest marine biodiversity in Patagonia. Upon disembarking on the Island and after listening to the recommendations of the guides  you will start the walk through a labyrinth of rocks among Magellanic penguins and low flights of skuas, the guardians of the island. When ascending to the highest point you will observe the historic abandoned lighthouse, the ruins of the old seal factory that worked at the end of the 18th century, and the spectacular view of the Marine Park. After descending to a small canyon you will see at very short distance the only colony of Rockhopper penguins accessible from the entire Patagonian coast while you listen our to specialists tell you about the behavior of this very particular species., enjoying a good cup of tea or coffee while sharing the fantastic experience with other visitors.  Continuing with the tour, you will walk to a small cove that houses a colony of sea lions, mostly males, and ocasionally some elephant seals mixed in the colony. After some free time for pictures you will return, attentive to the possibility of spotting  southern dolphins (one of the smallest marine dolphins in the world),  albatrosses and petrels.

*This expedition requires good physical mobility due to the possible difficulty of disembarking and embarking on the Island.
 

DARWIN CAMP - COMODORO RIVADAVIA AIRPORT - 316 km - 5 h 15 min

Breakfast at the lodge. 

Today you will take a ROUTE TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE ESTANCIA Cerro del Paso,  going  through the rocky canyons, full of magical caves, mallines and springs, surrounded by fauna,  feeling the natural balance of nature in these remote lands so far away from the crowds.  Lunch at the lodge. 
After lunch, you will return to Comodoro Rivadavia airport, where you will drop off your rental car and board your flight  back to Buenos Aires.