Puerto Madryn is the most important tourist center of Central Patagonia. The Welsh settlers named it after a castle that belonged to Sir Jones Parry Madryn who made an agreement with the government in 1863 for the settlement of colonies. Puerto Madryn is located on the coast of Golfo Nuevo, protected by the Patagonian steppe hills at its back and facing the intense cobalt blue of the ocean. It is 66 km (41 miles) from Trelew and 1,400 km (875 miles) from Buenos Aires.

Puerto Madryn and its outskirts offer a series of perfect sites to get involved in the matter of marine life and ecology. There is an interesting Oceanographic and Natural Science Museum and the modern Ecocentro, an interactive interpretative center that allows visitors to learn about the local wildlife.

Additionally, Puerto Madryn is the capital of sub-aquatic activities. The calm and transparent waters of the gulf, with an average temperature of 17º C in summer, permit the penetration of sunlight to a depth of 70 meters (230 feet), making it the ideal environment for submarine exploration and photography. Led by expert diver guides, you can visit different submarine parks. Many local companies offer the Submarine Baptism, which does not require any previous training.

17 km (10 miles) south of Puerto Madryn, one can reach the Punta Loma Fauna Reserve. There, one-haired sea lions (Otaria Flavescens) gather year-round over the rocky headlands and dark sand beaches. These can be easily observed from two decks suspended at a height of 15-meters (50 feet) over the sea. The best time to visit is in January when migratory sea lions from Punta Norte and Punta Pirámides arrive, for it is at this time the mating season commences. Visitors are provided a rare glimpse into the mating rituals of sea lions, an activity full of drama and intrigue as males fight to procure as many females as possible. 77 km (55 miles) southwards from Punta Loma, it is possible to visit the Scientific Reserve of Punta León, natural habitat of sea lions, sea elephants and several bird species. While it is necessary to obtain a previous permit to visit the reserve, the wide variety wildlife make the effort worthwhile.

North of Puerto Madryn lies the golden beach Playa del Doradillo, a paradise during the whale season. The great depth of the bay makes the perfect environment for mating and provides protection from attacks. These in turn provide wonderful opportunities for the tourist because these huge sea mammals come incredibly close to the seashore.

Further north, the road leads to Península Valdés. It looks almost like an island united to the continent only by a narrow strip of land called Carlos Ameghino Isthmus, which separates the San José and the Nuevo gulfs. The entrance gate to the Provincial Natural Reserve of Península Valdés is located shortly after the isthmus. From the Birds' Island Natural Reserve one can spot a small key located within the San Jose Gulf, which is nowadays an intangible reserve. It was one of the first fauna reserves in South America, created in 1967 due to the need to protect its particularly fragile ecosystem: a widely diverse colony of sea birds.The Interpretative Center of the Reserve of Península Valdés is also located in the isthmus.

One of the highlights of the peninsula is Puerto Pirámides, situated 108 km (68 miles) away from Puerto Madryn. Its beach, with calm transparent water, is ideal for the practice of aquatic and sub-aquatic sports. However, its top attraction is the whale watching boats. In order to avoid alterations during the breeding and mating seasons, the navigation is only allowed in the 'Golfo Nuevo'.

The whales appear on the coasts of Puerto Madryn in May and remain in the area till early December. These are the Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena Australis), belonging to the suborder of cetaceans called Mysticetus. They're different from sperm whales, killing whales and other cetaceans because they have baleens instead of teeth. These rigid keratin plates allow them to filter sea water in order to obtain their main food: a tiny shrimp-like crustacean called krill. The adults reach a weight of 30 to 40 tons, eating one ton and a half of krill and plankton every day. In December they leave the area for their feeding grounds, though very little is known about their habits during that period or about where they go.

The right whales come to Península Valdés to mate, give birth and breed their calves in the protected and calm waters of the gulfs. However, it has never been possible to see a birth. The maximum concentration takes place between October and November, period in which there are approximately 600 specimens comprising both gulfs. Births take place between August and October, with females giving birth to one calf every three to five years. The females with reproduction capacity return to the Peninsula Valdés area in three-year intervals in search of security and calm. However, the adult males return to the peninsula every year.

The unchecked hunting by whaler boats led these cetaceans close to extinction. Thanks to international agreements to protect them and a bill approved in 1984 which declared them a Natural Monument within Argentine waters, a slow recovery has occurred over the last few years. The current estimates place the world population around 7,000 specimens.

5 km (3 miles) from Puerto Pirámides there is a fauna reserve of one-haired sea lions called Punta Pirámides. They gather there during summer for reproduction. Most births take place in January and the emigration from March to April. The colony is observed from a natural lookout located on a cliff that protects the beaches.

Further to the east, The same road leads to Punta Delgada where a lonely lighthouse stands in the middle of the barren land. The premises of the Punta Delgada Lighthouse complex date back to the beginning of the XX century. It is a series of buildings which, after a long abandonment, have been refurbished some time ago and works now as restaurant and hotel, offering also an interesting set of activities in the surrounding area such as: horse-back rides and visits to various marine fauna rookeries, all accompanied by experienced local guides. It is the only place in the peninsula where it is permitted to see the sea elephants going down to the beach.Very near, there is another colony which gathers in a lonely beach called El Arenal.

Another important colony of sea elephants (or elephant seals) lies north in the Reserve of Punta Cantor in Caleta Valdés. Unlike the rookery in Punta Delgada, this colony stays here all year round. Sea elephants belong to the same family as seals. And like seals, they creep on the beaches using only their anterior limbs. On the other hand, Sea lions use all their four fins as legs. Sea elephants are called elephants because of the males' characteristic trunk and huge massive body. Adult males reach a length of 6 meters and a weight of up to 2,500 kilos (5.500 pounds), while females are five times smaller. They birth during springtime (September thru October), but it is possible to see them in different spots along the coasts all year round. Apart from sea elephants, Caleta Valdés has a very attractive morphological structure. It is a long and narrow inlet that stretches from north to south, parallel to the coast, making a kind of littoral lagoon. During summer, interesting colonies of sea birds inhabit the area.

In the northern tip of the peninsula, there is another sea lion and sea elephant reserve called Punta Norte, and those that are lucky enough might even see some killer whale. The access to Estancia San Lorenzo is situated nearby. In this place there used to operate a sea lion processing plant, and the ruins of the premises and cauldrons can still be seen thereby. But San Lorenzo's most important attraction is a Magellan Penguin rookery which is the largest in the peninsula. During the reproductive season up to 350,000 penguins can be seen on its beaches. Unlike other rookeries, San Lorenzo has the additional charm of being off-the-beaten-track.

170 km (106 miles) southward from Puerto Madryn, the Punta Tombo Penguin Rookery nestles on the beach at the feet of the coastal cliff, where the organized life of the Magellan Penguins will provide a wondrous show. Not many places around the world offer the chance to visit a colony by walking within it, along clearly limited paths. Its typical features are two stripes of black feathers around the neck and on the chest. This species lives mainly on the sea coast of Chubut province, forming colonies that settle in San Lorenzo, Punta Tombo, Bahía Camarones and Cabo Dos Bahías. Punta Tombo is the most important among them. More than 700,000 penguins arrive in September to nest and stay here until April.

With deep blue Atlantic waters contrasting with the reddish stone formations of the cliffs, the Cabo dos Bahías Reserve is truly a marvel to behold. Located outside the nondescript fishing town of Camarones, the reserve, also known as Camarones Penguin Rookery, boasts populations of both land and marine animals. There include Megallen Penguins and the all famous Patagonian hare. The Reserve in some 220 km (137 miles) away from Trelew and can be reached by going southward along Route 3 and detouring to the east after 70 km (44 miles).