Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Whale-Watching
Península Valdés is one of the
world's most famous whale-
watching locations. Operators
such as
Jorge Schmid
,
Whales
Argentina
, and
Tito Bottazzi
arrange transport and expert
guides to help visitors spot
dolphins, killer whales, and
porpoises. Southern Right
whales, however, are the star
attraction. All major international
tour operators that feature
Argentina in their itineraries offer
packages for whale-watching.
Puerto Deseado
(see p233)
is an
excellent location for observing
porpoises and many other
marine species, and almost all
tours include the rockhopper
penguin colony on Isla Pingüino
(see p233)
.
Darwin Expediciones
is the main operator in the town.
Cruises
Buenos Aires and Ushuaia are
favorite stopovers for the long-
haul luxury cruises that come
down from Brazil and the US.
For smaller cruises around Canal
Beagle and around Cape Horn,
try Rumbo Sur in Ushuaia and
Mare Australis
, which has
offices in the US. International
adventure tour operators, such
as
Peregrine Adventures
and
Explore
, hire medium-sized
icebreaker and ice-proof ships
during the summer to explore
the South Atlantic and
Antarctica. There are no longer
any regular passenger services
up Río Paraná, but cruises and
fishing voyages around a stretch
of this river in Corrientes can
also be organized. UK-based
luxury operator
Exsus
arranges
a range of tailor-made river and
ocean cruises.
Windsuring of Playa El Doradillo beach in
Puerto Madryn
Sailing and Windsurfing
In Bariloche,
Inter Patagonia
offers luxury sailing trips to
Victoria Island in Lago Nahuel
Huapi. Canal Beagle is popular
with sailors and
Rumbo Sur
in
Ushuaia can organize boats and
combine itineraries with land-
based excursions. Windsurfing
is gaining in popularity in
Argentina, and Lago Traful on
the Seven Lakes road is a good
choice;
Dormis Costa Traful
can
arrange windsurf gear as well
as kayaking and horse-riding
excursions. Waterskiing or
speedboating across Río
Plata, as well as fishing trips
combined with visits to
Uruguay, can be arranged by
luxury tour agent,
Fueguito
.
Fishing and Hunting
Fly-fishing for trout and salmon
is growing in popularity,
especially in Patagonia and the
Lake District.
Tiempo de Pesca
in San Martín de los Andes
arranges river trips. Patagonia
Golf offers a variety of fly-fishing
tours.
Fly Fishing Patagonia
specializes in trout, golden
dorado, and sea-run brown
trout fishing trips in Mendoza,
Corrientes, and Patagonia.
Argentinian river fishing is also
popular and
Pira Lodge
and
Estancia San Alonso
, both in
Esteros del Iberá, can arrange
boats and guides. Hunting
expeditions to exclusive
hunting estates and estancias
can be organized by
Argentina Adventure
.
Diving and Snorkeling
There have been concerns
raised by environmentalists over
people swimming with whales,
and it is important to check the
cre den tials of any one offering
whale-watching off the Puerto
Madryn coast.
However, there are many
exciting diving opportunities off
the Atlantic coast, in Lago Traful,
famous for its submerged forest,
Lago Nahuel Huapi, and in the
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas).
In Ushuaia,
Ushuaia Divers
arranges snorkeling and
shipwreck dives.
Rafting
There are many grades of
white-water rafting in the
Andean valleys, with the busy
rafting centers located in
Bariloche and Mendoza. In the
former,
Extremo Sur
and
Aguas
Blancas
can organize full-day
rafting adventures down Río
Manso (which has grades II to IV
white-water sections) as well as
gentle kayaking trips through
the chain of lakes that connects
Bariloche with Puerto Montt
in Chile. In Mendoza,
Rios
Andinos
- based in the main
rafting center, Potrerillos - offers
a range of river tours, from
moonlit rafting and kayaking
to hydrospeed trips.
Fly-ishing in Río Chimehuin, which lows
out of Lago Huechulafquen
Diver approaches a Southern Right whale
of Península Valdés
