Argentina Wildlife Adventure

Day 1: Buenos Aires

Airport reception in Buenos Aires and transfer in to your hotel. In the afternoon we explore the Costanera Sur Nature Reserve, just a few minutes from the heart of the city along the edge of Puerto Madero. Accompanied by a local naturalist guide we walk through a beautiful area of the Puerto Madero River which has remained largely untouched during the expansion of Buenos Aires. Overnight at Awwa Suites.
Note: Taxi transport is required from Costanera Sur back to your hotel and is payable direct. Your guide will help you hail a taxi if desired, or you can opt to make your own way back on foot.

Accomodations: Awwa Suites

Day 2: Trelew - Punta Tombo - Peninsula Valdes

Early morning transfer for the flight to Trelew on the Atlantic coast. Our local naturalist guide meets us upon arrival in Trelew to explore Punta Tombo, the most important breeding colony of Magellanic penguins in the world. Walk on trails among nearly a million penguins (in season*) approaching within a few feet for excellent close-up photographs and observation. Kelp gulls, Skuas, Cormorants, Giant petrels, Dolphin gulls and Chubut steamer ducks are among the many birds that inhabit the reserve. Guanacos and Rheas wander freely among the multitude of penguins.*See below for month-by-month Magellanic Penguin life cycle at Punta Tombo

After lunch, continue north on the isthmus to the town of Puerto Piramades, a colorful seaside enclave and point of embarkation for whale-watching excursions. Time and interest permitting, we stop at Puerto Madryn en route and visit either the Museum of the Man & the Sea or the EcoCentro which offers young naturalists a hands-on introduction to the region’s marine fauna. (Museum fees are an additional cost.) Overnight at Hosteria del Nomade, a short walk from the heart of Puerto Piramades.

*Optional upgrade to Estancia Rincon Chico, a private ranch with exclusive beach access to a colony of elephant seals starts at $250 per person. Highly recommended for photographers. Day-trip to see orcas (February-April) an additional cost. All meals included at Rincon Chico.

Accomodations: Hosteria del Nomade, Estancia Rincon Chico

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Peninsula Valdes

Full day excursion to explore Peninsula Valdes for the finest wildlife viewing in Patagonia. The plankton- rich Falkland Current provides food for the peninsula's large colonies of South American sea lions and Southern elephant seals. Visit breeding grounds of sea lions and elephant seals, observe flocks of migratory shore birds and watch for guanacos, rheas, maras, hairy armadillos, Elegant-crested tinamous and fox running freely across the steppe. From mid-February to April, orcas patrol the shores near Punta Norte for young sea lions. Here we can observe the technique of ‘intentional stranding’, a hunting style practiced only by the orcas of the Valdes Peninsula. Overnight Hosteria del Nomade.

Note: Add optional whale watching boat trip to see Southern Right Whales from July through December, approximately $110 per person in either morning or afternoon. Shared service.

Accomodations: Hosteria del Nomade

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: El Calafate

Transfer to the airport for flight to El Calafate, a small mountain town that serves as a base for explorations of the Patagonian Continental Ice Cap and Los Glaciares National Park. The ice cap runs 560 miles from north to south and is the origin of 47 major glaciers, including the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Enjoy a welcome drink upon arrival and then relax before a traditional gaucho drum and dance ceremony at the Estancia Kau Yatun’s traditional Quincho outdoor BBQ. Overnight at Hotel Kau Yatun.

Accomodations: Kau Yatun Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5: Perito Moreno Glacier Walk

As part of a small group, we travel by motor coach this morning to a spectacular lookout of Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. Permanently advancing along its 3-mile-front, columns of ice over 20 stories high peel off the face and crash into Lago Argentino creating massive icebergs. We cross Lago Argentino by catamaran along the front wall of the glacier to the edge of the Patagonian Ice Cap. Watch and listen as the glacier calves enormous shards of ice into the lake. We disembark, walk through the beech forest and have a safety briefing before strapping on crampons and hiking up onto the ice pack. Watch for Andean condor and buff-necked Ibis. Overnight at Hotel Kau Yatun.

Note: The “Moreno Glacier Walk” is a group excursion of up to 20 persons conducted by a local park concession for ages 12-65. Ask about our “Big Ice Exploration,” an alternative, longer, 6-hour hike with a smaller group that ventures deeper into the depths of the glacier for ages 18-50.

Accomodations: Kau Yatun Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Calafate - Lago Roca & Nibepo Aike Estancia

Enjoy a half-day excursion to Lago Roca, a beautiful mountain lake, and Estancia Nibepo Aike. Set within Los Glaciares National Park, this traditional estancia – dating from the beginning of the 20th century- offers an impressive view over Lake Argentina and an introduction to the activities of a sheep-breeding ranch. After a delicious and traditional lamb asado cooked over the open flame for lunch we have options to hike along the coast of the lake, opt for a horseback ride through the vast property, or climb the Crystal Mount lookout point where condors often fly overhead. On a clear day you can see Torres del Paine in Chile, the various arms of Lake Argentina and the Patagonia Ice Cap. There is also free time to walk, shop and enjoy local restaurants in town. Overnight at Hotel Kau Yatun.

Accomodations: Kau Yatun Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7: Fly to Iguazú Falls

Transfer to El Calafate airport for morning flight to Iguazu where we are greeted and escorted to the Panoramic Hotel. This restored boutique hotel is a popular gathering place for local residents from around Misiones province and is located within town, a short distance from a fun, open-air exchange market for Brazilian and Argentine goods. Stroll the streets on your own and take in the scene or enjoy the tropical weather poolside, overlooking the meeting point between the Iguazu and Parana Rivers. Overnight at the Panoramic Hotel in a river view room.

Accomodations: Panoramic Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 8: Iguazú Falls

The Iguazú Falls are over a mile wide, plunge 260 feet in a thunderous roar and are surrounded by lush tropical rain forest. Explore the tropical rain forests and falls on this Iguazu Falls National Park tour with our private naturalist guide, hiking on trails and catwalks to lookouts among misty forests of giant ferns, vines and orchids looking for butterflies, monkeys, peccary, deer and abundant birdlife. Vantage points around the falls let you photograph the cataracts and rainbows from many different angles. Overnight at Panoramic Hotel in a River View Room.

Accomodations: Panoramic Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 9: San Ignacio Mission - Corrientes & Ibera Wetlands

We leave Puerto Iguazu in the early morning for a full day of adventure driving through some of the most beguiling regions of Argentina. [8 hrs total drive over some unpaved roads] Traveling south through Misiones province to San Ignacio Mini we explore the ruins of a beautiful mission founded by the Jesuits in the early 1600s and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Threatened by the political and economic power that the Jesuits seemed to hold, the Spanish and Portuguese crowns expelled the sect from their kingdoms in the late 1700s (as portrayed in the movie “The Mission”) and the ruins were nearly reclaimed by the jungle. We explore the rich architectural complex with our resident guide before continuing into Corrientes Province and the Iberá Wetlands, the second-largest wetland in the world after the Pantanal in Brazil, often referred to as “the Serengeti of South America.” From the town of Posadas we transfer to Posada Laguna, locally owned hosteria in the small village of Colonia Carlos Pellegrini within the Ibera Nature Reserve. Overnight in Posada Laguna.

Accomodations: Posada de la Laguna

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 10 & 11: Ibera Wetlands

The vast marshes of the Iberá Wetlands offer one of the most exciting spectacles of wildlife in South America. Howler monkeys, huge caimans, larges groups of capybaras, anteaters and marsh deer are commonly seen, along with over 305 species of birds including Greater Rheas standing as tall as humans. The endangered maned wolf and Parana otter also find refuge here. Local naturalist guides share their history and knowledge of the pampas leading you throughout this diverse habitat by boat, 4WD vehicle, on foot and on horseback while observing wildlife and learning about the settlers and natural history of the protected reserve. On your own time you can paddle a canoe or borrow the posada’s bicycles to explore at your leisure. Well of the beaten-path this hidden gem presents ample opportunities to relax, reconnect and discover the true nature of Argentina. Overnight at Posada Laguna.

Accomodations: Posada de la Laguna

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12: Buenos Aires

Transfer to the Posadas Airport (4 hour drive along dirt roads) for an afternoon flight to Buenos Aires. Airport reception and transfer in to the Awwa Suites hotel, well-located in the Recoleta neighborhood. The famous Recoleta cemetery, the Evita Museum (have lunch here!) and the zoological park and gardens are all within a few blocks. Overnight at the Awwa Suites in a balcony room.

Accomodations: Awwa Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 13: Buenos Aires & Departure

Enjoy a free day to walk or shop in this vibrant city, join a bicycle tour, kayak on the Parana River delta, or ask about our Four Balconies of Buenos Aires tour for an in-depth look at the city with a local experts who introduce us to the city, its history, its style, and the peculiar psychology of “Porteño” residents (tours not included and are available at an additional cost). The hotel room is available for day-use until your evening transfer to the airport for flight departure.

*PENGUIN LIFE CYCLE AT PUNTA TOMBO
January: Chicks leave their nests, grow swimming feathers and start learning to swim in the sea.
February: Young molt, take the beaches in swarms.
March-April: Molting season ends for the young and starts for adults; birds start their northward migration.
May, June, July and August: No Magellan penguins are visible, because they are always feeding out at sea.
August-September: Adult males and females arrive, mark their territories and build their nests.
October-November: Brooding and hatching season lasts between 30 and 45 days.
December: Chicks grow, intensive activity on the beach, seagulls and skuas hover to pillage nests.