Valdes Peninsula

Chubut Province, Argentina

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The Valdés Peninsula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northeastern Chubut Province, Argentina, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean and separated from the mainland by a narrow 6-kilometer isthmus, making it essentially an island with two large gulfs—San José to the north and Nuevo to the south—surrounded by its waters.

Covering about 360,000 hectares, it is one of the world’s most important wildlife sanctuaries, protected since 1983 and recognized by UNESCO in 1999 for its exceptional marine and terrestrial biodiversity. The peninsula is famous for the world’s best southern right whale watching from June to December in the sheltered gulfs, where up to 2,000 whales come to breed, calve and nurse their young, and it is also one of the few places on Earth where orcas intentionally beach themselves to hunt sea lion pups near Punta Norte.

Other iconic animals include massive colonies of Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo and Puerto Pirámides, South American sea lions at Punta Norte and Punta Pirámide, southern elephant seals at Caleta Valdés, guanacos, maras, foxes, pumas, and countless seabirds, making it a premier destination for wildlife viewing and photography.