Sun and Sand

The Valdes Peninsula maintains its own special micro-climate, making it possible to enjoy its beaches throughout most of the year. Being a semi-arid desert with little yearly rainfall and a high percentage of sunny days, combined with its natural protection from the winds, the Peninsula offers an unusually high percentage of days for nautical and beach activities.Even though the months of May through August are cold, from September through April the climate is favorable, unlike most of the rest of Patagonia.

There are many beaches in the Valdes Peninsula, each with its own characteristics. Knowledge of the daily tide tables is important to more safely enjoy what each beach has to share. The daily tidal shift in Golfo Nuevo varies between 3 and 6 vertical meters of change. In Golfo San Jose the change canbe up to more than 9mts.

Puerto Pirámides: Beaches close to town

Protecting the town from cold coastal winds and the eroding effects of the sand lays the beach of Pto. Piramides. Surrounded by tamarisks and sand dunes, this is the same beach from which you will embark on nautical excursions for fishing, diving and snorkeling and the only place in Argentina from which whale watching tours are practiced.

Piedra Guacha (Orphan Rock Beach):

This is the first beach after rounding Olazábal Point at the end of the second access road in Puerto Piramides. Walking in an easterly direction along the coast this beach is back dropped by high cliffs and is the first of the local beaches.

Los Molinos (The Wind Mills):

Continuing past Orphan Rock, about a kilometer on, the high cliffs slide away from the coast, creating a narrow valley where the long abandoned remains of a windmill mark where water was once collected to provision the town. An excellent option for peace and quiet, to read a book under the sun in summer, or for enjoying a hot thermos while watching the whales in winter and spring.

Las Cuevas (Sea Cave Beach):

Clossing the beautiful bay of Puerto Pirámides and backdroped by low laying cliffs, rests Sea Cave Beach and the formations that give it its name. Huge tidal shifts and the passing of time have created several caves making a magical place to watch the sun sink into the sea.

Pardelas:

This beach is a little further away from Puerto Pirámides and can be reached by a 16 km stretch of gravel road. Direcions are easily attained by asking in town. Pardelas is a great place for camping, taking a swim or snorkeling and is the birthplace of SCUBA in Argentina with several underwater formations (PLEASE REMEMBER to leave nothing behind and remove any other trash you may find). To the east, looking left down the coast you can walk the rocks to Colombo Beach.

Colombo:

Colombo beach isthe continuation of Pardelas traveling east. It gradually sweeps around in the shape of a bay, covering several kilometers and creating the longest beach in the peninsula. Colombo is an excellent place for an extended coastal walk (always with knowledge of the tide tables).