Four Itchy Feet

February 26, 2025. Puerto Madryn, Argentina.

We have spent the last five days in the city of Puerto Madryn, a vibrant destination with over one hundred thousand inhabitants. Its main attraction is the beach and promenade, stretching over four kilometers along the shores of Golfo Nuevo Bay.

There are plenty of things to do here. A short distance away lies the Valdés Peninsula, where visitors can see penguins, sea lions, elephant seals, and even whales. Many tour operators offer snorkeling and scuba diving excursions with sea lions in the nearby Punta Loma Reserve, home to a large and active sea lion colony. A bit farther—but still accessible by excursion or, ideally, by car—is Punta Tombo, which boasts the largest continental penguin colony in the world.

For us, the highlight was the beach. We had perfect weather, and on two of the days, we rented beach chairs and umbrellas for $25, immersing ourselves in the lively beach scene. The beach is incredibly popular, with families staking out their spots in the morning and spending the entire day there, passing around mate tea among themselves or sharing it with anyone who stops by for a chat. Local vendors paced back and forth with their food offerings, doing brisk business with eager beachgoers.

The water was crystal clear, calm, and cold. How cold, you ask? Well, we had a few Magellanic penguins swim by us while we were in the water—that’s how cold it was! We were blessed with incredible weather and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

If you’re looking for a taste of seafood, Puerto Madryn offers some of the best and most affordable options we found in the Patagonia. We dined twice at Restaurant Chonna—first indulging in a seafood pizza overflowing with all kinds of fresh seafood, the next visit we enjoyed an authentic paella that was absolutely to die for. Their homemade flan and dulce de leche crêpes provided the perfect sweet ending to our culinary experience.

Puerto Madryn is our last major stop on our Patagonia road trip, and it certainly did not disappoint. We originally came to Patagonia for the mountains, but we encourage everyone to explore the east coast as well—it’s full of life, beauty, and adventure.