Family: The Peninsula Valdes
With many activities and learning experiences, this is superb for a family of any age
For those families that are interested by wildlife and getting out into the wilderness of Argentina, then the Peninsula Valdes is the perfect choice. Featuring a whole host of both sea and land animals, a visit to the area is a feast of culture and natural interest. In season it is possible to see Southern Right Whales from the shoreline and, if you are very lucky, watch Orcas slide themselves up the beach in order to grab an unsuspecting seal from the shore.
Each of the activities on offer in the region has some sort of interactivity to it and so there is very rarely too much vehicle time. One of the more popular activities is to head to the small settlement of Gaiman that was the first settlement of the Welsh when they arrived at the turn of the 18th century. This village still has a number of Welsh teahouses in which to have afternoon tea. From here it is just a short hop to the penguin colony at Punta Tombo where it is possible to walk in amongst the hatchlings and their parents.
As with other areas of Argentina, the hotels in the area are all very welcoming to families and a stay on one of the ranches on the Peninsula is a superb way to spend a few days learning about the traditional life on a working estancia and walking down to the beach to see the elephant seals in full swing. We would probably recommend that families that are younger than 12 might not find it as rewarding as those that are slightly older, but there is also a fascinating museum in the town of Trelew that harbours some of the dinosaur bones discovered in the area that is sure to interest any age!
Click here to view some video footage of the area.
