Argentina Southern Patagonia: Pumas and Penguins - Self Drive in Small Group November 2024

Isla Leones

Located on the coast, the Patagonia Azul Project plays a fundamental role in the preservation of the biological diversity of the Argentinean Sea.  This coastal marine area, located between the cities of Comodoro Rivadavia and Rawson, is home to more than sixty protected islands and bays and has the greatest maritime biodiversity in the country.  These ecosystems are vital for numerous species of birds and marine mammals, which find a place for feeding, reproduction, and nesting in this environment.

November is a prime time for whales as this is  during the Southern Hemisphere's spring and early summer months when these magnificent creatures are often present in the region.  Southern Right Whales are leaving and the Humpback Whales, known for their displays of breaching and tail-slapping are arriving.  

Parque Patagonia

Surrounded by the Andes mountain range, providing a breathtaking backdrop, Parque Patagonia, in remote southern Argentina, is dedicated to preserving the exceptional biodiversity of the Patagonian steppe and its ecosystems. This uniquely beautiful place has towering basalt buttes, stunning lagoons, volcanic cones and expansive, deep ravines waiting for us to explore.  

Among the many wildlife species, endemic and some rare, that call this park home, the puma holds a significant ecological role as a top predator.   Over three days of trekking, we aim to spot these majestic animals in their natural habitat with the help of trackers and our guide.  Our destination is remote and has few visitors.  This is an extraordinary chance to explore this as yet still relatively undiscovered place.

Along with pumas, there is more wildlife to see, and other steppe species include mammals: Guanaco, Huemel (South Andean Deer), Wolffsohn’s Viscacha, Pampas Cat, Patagonian Grey Fox and Coypu. Birds include Austral Rail, Darwin's Rhea, Andean Condor and the very special Torrent Duck.

But Argentina is much more than its wildlife.   You feel an enormous sense of history when you gaze out over the steppe and see a landscape formed by millennia of glaciers and the constant wind.  Parque Patagonia has a site of huge historical significance that we will visit - the Cave of Hands - hundreds of petroglyphs made by ancestral guanaco-hunting populations between 7300 BC to 700AD.  These etchings of landscapes and enormous herds of guanaco—which defined their culture—remain intact atop the Buenos Aires Lake Plateau.  We will watch the sunrise and sunset in different areas of the park each day, just as people did in this place, thousands of years ago.

Campamento Darwin

 The old Estancia Cerro del Paso was a strategic point in the transportation of wool and other merchandise, linking the most distant Patagonia with the Pampas through the estuary. Today transformed into Camp Darwin- Eco Lodge, it offers activities full of history, adventure and nature.

The contrast of these lands and their landscapes will captivate us as they captivated Charles Darwin back in 1833, choosing this site to camp and capture its richness in drawings and his subsequent theory of evolution. The imposing estuary, its canyons full of history and unforgettable characters, the immensity of the steppe, the spectacular nature of the most remote Patagonia and the enormous wealth of marine and steppe flora and fauna; named an "“Intangible Nature Reserve” for its unique geology and fauna.

The highlight of this part of the trip is a boat to a protected area that has the only easily accessible Rockhopper Penguin colony in Argentina.  We will also look for Southern Sea Lions, Magellanic Penguins, Skuas, Oystercatchers, Steamer ducks and Cormorants.  As we travel by boat, we will scan the sea for Commerson's Dolphins; these iconic dolphins are found in Southern Argentine and Chile,