Arriving in Puerto Madryn after surviving our 24-hour bus journey from El Calafate was like a breath of fresh air. The Atlantic Ocean was sparkling in the late afternoon sun as our taxi driver transported us to our home for the next four days. La Posada Hotel is a fancier place than we typically frequent, but thanks to a special online offer we booked it and subsequently jumped for joy when we arrived because it was so clean and spacious.

We later figured out that we had been upgraded into a bigger room though we’re not sure why… but I’m guessing it had something to do with the Bus Gods feeling sorry for us….

Beaches and Wildlife 

It’s easy to see why so many Argentinians visit Puerto Madryn. It’s only a two-hour flight south from Buenos Aires which makes for a quick and easy getaway to the beach. It’s also the gateway to Peninsula Valdez and Punta Tombo, where people book tours to see penguins, sea lions, killer wales, elephant seals, guanacos, and many species of birds. Harry and I had an incredible visit to Punta Tombo where we spent the afternoon hanging out with the largest Magellanic penguin colony in South America.

We spent the rest of our time in Puerto Madryn exploring the city, happily trading in our fleece jackets for short sleeves and sunscreen. We borrowed bikes from our hotel twice and had fun zipping around town, dodging cars and avoiding as many dirt roads as we could. Of course we had to sample some of the ever-abundant sweet treats as well (Harry is basically addicted at this point). We also took advantage of the hotel’s speedy wifi to do more trip planning.

Onward Ho!

Feeling relaxed and rejuvenated we said goodbye to the delightful staff at La Posada and took a taxi to the bus station. Yes, the bus station! But don’t worry — our trip west to Esquel across Patagonia was only a mere nine hours long.