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On many of our adventures, the journey has been as exciting as the destination. Not so on the east side of Argentina, especially Patagonia. There are miles and miles of steppe, flat, windy and monotonous areas of dried grass as well as some shrubs that we couldn’t identify. The is no sign of life there except an occasional pack of guanaco, wild mammals that look like a cross between a llama and a camel. Shortly after crossing the county line we were stopped by the police for an agricultural inspection, first for fruit and later on for meat. This was the first of many police “controls” and it was totally unexpected. They said that Patagonia is free of fruit flies and hoof and mouth disease and they want to keep it that way. We had a lot of fruit and vegetables in our refrigerator but the young inspector didn’t know where to find it. Of course we offered no help and pretended not to understand him! The first inspection was only for produce and the second was only for meat which we did not have. The second inspector knew where to find our refrigerator but was satisfied not to find meat and left our produce alone!

Our itinerary along the northeastern coast of Patagonia

Along the steppe in Rio Negro Province, Argentina

We arrived at the gateway to Patagonia where the sister cities of Carmen de Patagones and Viedma straddle the Río Negro. They are both worth a visit but we temporarily bypassed historic Carmen de Patagones in order to find a camp site. It was 37°C as we drove inland through the steppe and found all the Viedma residents at the beaches there.  We then drove 31 km southeast to Balneario Condór at the mouth of Río Negro. We saw the sign and entered what appeared to be a gated community. Apparently this is a new beach resort but we were quite disappointed by the lack services for visitors here.  Again, there was no camping to be seen and we ended up following a family from Buenos Aires in a large RV. They too had problems but eventually led us to Camping Trentinos.

After our beach walk at Camping Trentinos, Balneario Condór, Argentina

It was extremely windy there and at least 10 degrees cooler than in town. The next morning we walked on the beach as the sand stung our legs, our introduction to the gusty Patagonian wind. We said goodbye to our new Argentine friends who had given us some advice on good places to visit and camp as we journeyed down the Patagonian coast. We left Balneario Condór to travel south, and we stopped for a walk around the Old Town of Carmen de Patagones. There is not a lot to see but the steep cobblestone streets and colonial style homes give the city a certain charm. It was also a brief respite from the tedious travel we have to do in order to get to each destination.

Nuestra Señora de Patagones in Old City, Carmen de Patagones, Argentina

Our next stop was Playas Dorada, where we knew there would be camping. To reach it we had a long,long, ride through the steppe. Distances between destinations are long in Patagonia and this was only the beginning! Finally we reached the town of Sierra Grande so we knew we only had 30 km to go. The only problem was that the road was gravel which resulted in a incredibly bumpy and gritty ride Our campground was pleasant and the hot shower after our dusty journey couldn’t have been more welcome. Our legs got sandblasted by the strong wind on our morning beach walk, then we bit the bullet for the rough trip out of Playas Dorada.

Playas Dorada, Rio Negro Province, Argentina

The weather in Patagonia seems to change daily. Today it was pleasant and warm as we had another long drive through the steppe to Puerto Madryn, a busy port and beach resort. It seemed like a good place to spend New Years Eve and we found another first class campground that was run by the Argentina Automobile Club. We made reservations at one of the best restaurants in town but we were greeted by overcast skies and cold violent wind the next day so we changed to Plan B, dinner at Chez Barnetche! The wind was gusting so hard that at times it seemed we were on the high seas. By midnight it was raining buckets so we were happy that we hadn’t ventured out and enjoyed our low key celebration in our camper while watching the fireworks in Sydney, Australia and other Pacific Rim locations.

An amazing vegetarian lunch, Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Beach at Puerto Madryn while it was warm and sunny

On New Years Day it was sunny again though still cool and windy. We bundled up for our traditional New Years beach walk and saw a few of the sights in the area.

Statue of an indigenous man viewing European ships. Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Cold and windy New Years Day beach walk, Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Instead of continuing along the coast, we took a brief detour to Gaiman to see a typical Patagonian Welsh village. There was an influx of Welsh immigrants to Patagonia in the late 19th century and around 30% of the residents in this area are of Welsh descent. Our destination was one of the tea houses described in our guidebook but the town looked rather deserted and this was all we saw:

Sign pointing to Casa de Te Gales, Gaiman, Argentina

Sign pointing to Casa de Te Gales, Gaiman, Argentina

Off again through the desolate steppe, then another rough gravel road to the natural protected area of Punto Tombo Nature Reserve to have a close encounter with half a million (yep, that’s right) Magellanic penguins. It is the world’s largest colony and was by far the most thrilling sight along Patagonia’s northeastern coast. Without a doubt it definitely compensated for the grueling trip to get there. We stopped first at the Visitor Center to get an overview of all the amazing wildlife we could see here: guanacos roaming near the sea, tuco tucos, (small tailless rodents) scurrying about, rheas, large flightless birds that resemble ostriches, and Patagonian foxes, to name a few. There is also a variety of seabirds such as king and rock cormorants, giant petrels, kelp gulls, flightless steamer ducks and black oystercatchers.

A group of gunaco and a falcon at Punto Tombo Nature Reserve, Argentina

Wildlife diorama inside Visitor Center. Punto Tombo Natural Protected Area, Argentina

Park rangers accompany rookery visitors along a wooden walkway to make certain that all these adorable furry or feathered creatures are left undisturbed. There are literally miles of nests, usually guarded by an adult. Though they’re most active at night, many of the penguins were fishing in the bay. They often took the walkways on the return trip to the sea and we were told to move out of the way so they wouldn’t get disoriented. As I walked near the bay, an adult approached me, cocking its head curiously to one side, then ran up to me as if I were a long lost buddy. Our quality time together lasted until Andre snapped a photo of us, then I jumped up out of fear of getting bitten! Such a shame as I wanted to hug that cute little guy!

Quality time with my new best friend, Punto Tombo Nature Reserve, Argentina

Penguin nests as far as the eye can see, Punto Tombo Nature Reserve, Argentina

Penguins returning from a fishing expedition, Punto Tombo Nature Reserve, Argentina

Life in the rookery plays out as it does in the wild – penguins die from a variety of causes and their carcasses are left to decompose, those that are vulnerable can be attacked at sea by the vicious giant petrels, eggs are stolen by predators, aggressive males fight and are covered with blood. It was all so impressive and despite the cold wind we stayed until closing time, then returned to our camper where we’d been given permission to spend the night and use their facilities. At breakfast the next day some grazing guanacos came close enough for a stellar photo opportunity.

Giant Petrels devour a hapless penguin, Punto Tombo Nature Reserve, Argentina

A guanaco looking for breakfast, Punto Tombo Nature Reserve, Argentina

A guanaco looking for breakfast, Punto Tombo Nature Reserve, Argentina

Then it was time to move on to our next adventure through the never-ending steppe…