Argentina

Starting Price:	£194.00
Trip Length:	3 days

El Pedral Lodge

Whale Watching

Coastline

El Pedral Lodge at Punta Ninfas: 3 days/2 nights

Description Pricing Itinerary

You will stay at El Pedral Lodge, a 19th century house just meters from the ocean. With El Pedral as the point of departure, this program will give you the full spectrum of marine life activity in the area. From whales breeching just in front of you, penguins at play with their young, to sea elephants courting their mates, you will be blown away by the beauty of the region. Strategically located at the tip of Punta Ninfas, El Pedral Lodge offers a natural, unique, and exclusive lookout for watching the whales entering the bay just a few meters from the main lodge. El Pedral also offers incredible landscapes, a beautiful stone covered beach on the Atlantic Ocean, and the possibility of enjoying many activities during the entire year.

Punta Tumbo, just south of El Pedral, is South America’s largest penguin nesting ground. They have found their niche on a coastline largely untouched by modern man. Certainly, the area has so much to offer the unexpecting visitor as it serves as a natural refuge for some of the world’s most amazing animals.

Go Back To Trelew, Puerto Madryn and Peninsula Valdes: Peninsula Valdes

Day 1

Flight to Trelew. Reception and transfer upon arrival to El Pedral Lodge. El Pedral is an ideal place to do exceptional wildlife watching. El Pedral is build in the Norman style from the 19th century. This lodge offers a true cultural and estancia experience, with relaxing and authentic ambience, and homemade Patagonian meals. The beaches that the El Pedral Lodge has been built along have been chosen by the sea lions and elephant seals for their colonies. In 2009, a group of 28 young penguins came to the southern beach. Since then, their numbers have grown exponentially, and their numbers are expected to keep growing in the coming seasons, in the area that has since been declared “Refugio Natural Vida Silvestre Punta Ninfas”, the Wildlife Natural Shelter. While you visit the lodge, you will want to visit of the colony of elephant seals. Another amazing animal that populates this area are sea elephants, which can be seen in the area surrounding the corner of Punta Ninfas from September to April.

Day 2

Day to enjoy the activities and relax at the estancia. You have the opportunity to take part in activities run by the El Pedral Lodge, including 4x4 safaris, walking, riding bicycles, embarked fishing, and kayaking. After checking in, guests are informed about the activities they will be able to do during their stay. These activities will be confirmed again by the guide the night before, as the activities may vary due to the weather or wildlife migration that would affect fauna watching opportunities. During spare time guests can enjoy riding bicycles, reading in the library, relaxing in the game room and cooling off in the swimming pool. El Pedral (the gravel beach) extends over nine kilometers along the sea. It is situation in a strange geographic formation stretching 900 kilometers long and 8 meters deep.. During whales season, Because the sea immediately along the shore is so deep, you can just sit on the shore and enjoy the inspiring display presented by the Southern right whale. August is one of the best months to enjoy this show, as it is the time of birth and mating. From the cliffs surrounding El Pedral you have the unique opportunity to view the whales from a stunning aerial vantage point. From this point you can not only appreciate the whales but the stunning crystal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The orca is also seen frequently, although it is unpredictable in its rituals and patterns, unlike the Southern Right Whale. It is possible to see these incredible mammals all year round although they are more frequent in November, March, and April, as these are times when the food sources for the orca is most accessible. At El Pedral, you will have the opportunity to view guanacos, foxes, Patagonian cavies, rheas, and armadillos, all animals that can be found as part of the Patagonian fauna that can be seen there. There are also sheep farmyards in the surrounding area that compliment the activities of the animals in the area.

Day 3

You will depart towards Punta Tombo, crossing the rough landscape of the Patagonian steppe. While you cross the steppe you will have the opportunity to see how the steppe contrasts with the sea and its marine fauna. At Punta Tombo you will walk a trail that goes deep into an important breeding colony of Magellan penguins. This will offer the perfect opportunity to observe these magnificent birds personally. There are also many other species of animals that occupy this area such as kelp gulls, skuas, guanay, cormorants, giant petrels, dolphin gulls, the Chubut steamer duck, hairy armadillos, and Patagonian foxes. These animals may also be seen on the trail towards the Magellan colony. After the visit, transfer to the airport to board your flight back.

3 days , from £194

Occupancy Type	Standard	Additional Night
Double	£1298	£194
Single	£1989	£249

Prices shown above are per person, in Sterling (Ł).

Price includes: All meals and transfers to and from Trelew, and activites. Local airport taxes that are payable in the country of destination are not included. Taxes and security fees that can be paid at time of ticketing are already included in the quote (if airfare has been included in the quote).

Activites: Exploration activities with specially designed circuits, hiking, nautical walking, fishing, horseback riding, snorkeling and water skiing. Traditional Tours: Punta Tombo, visit the pingüinera and Puerto Pyramid. The trip to Punta Tombo will only be granted on the day of check out for those passengers who have a flight from Trelew after 3.00 pm. If a trip to Puerto Pyramid is not reserved in advance, it is subject to the decision of our guides who will advise the passenger to choose the day best suited to perform the spotting according to weather conditions.

The shallow waters surrounding Peninsula Valdes offer right whales the perfect environment to breed and bear their young. Whale-watching is possible from June to mid-December, but September and October are the best months. The beautiful bird species, sea lions, and elephant seals can be seen all year long, while the best time for seeing penguins is October through March.

Note* Three night program with excursions run in High season (September, October and November 2008). During the peak season running from December 22- January 1 will not have excursions included.

Yampu only offers the El Pedral Lodge as an add-on to a highlight program. Booking fee may apply otherwise.

Yampu Tours is a trading name of Yampu Tours & Travel Ltd – Registered in England, Company No: 6054303 ATOL Number: 9522 VAT Number 919 1679 90 – 0800 011 2424 – Email Us