Summer 2023: the beaches of Patagonia, between cliffs, wild corners and marine fauna

Patagonia

is not just mountains, lakes and chocolate.

It is also synonymous with

on the Atlantic coast.

In the southern provinces, there are extensive kilometers of sand in different tourist destinations and for all types of travelers: from

towns to

with all kinds of services.

Here are several beaches in southern Argentina, ideal to visit this summer and be surprised by the color of the water, the cliffs and the marine fauna.

Sunset at El Cóndor beach.

Photo Shutterstock.

Provincial Route 1 (Río Negro)

Also known as

or 

, along the 210 kilometers that connect Viedma with Puerto San Antonio Este, it allows you to visit numerous beaches on the Río Negro coast.

One of them is

, the first beach in Patagonia.

One of the main characteristics is its extension: it has more than 10 kilometers of coastline.

In addition, it stands out for its cliffs and its biodiversity.

View of the Río Negro Lighthouse, the oldest in Patagonia.

Photo Tourism Rio Negro

At the beginning of these geographical accidents, where the first Patagonia

is located -providing services since 1887-, you can see the

in the world, with 175,000 specimens that arrive at the end of spring, in addition to 121 species of marine, coastal and continental birds.

As can be read on the Río Negro Tourism page, during January and February, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 6:00 p.m.,

activities are carried out to identify the local fauna.

The next stop, 19 km from El Cóndor, is

, where the beach is sheltered by high cliffs.

The coast has parts of sand and sectors of boulder.

Natural pools are formed on the beaches of La Lobería.

3 kilometers from the town is the

 with more than 4,000 sea lions, being the most important protected area for sea lions in northern Patagonia.

RP1 also leads to other beaches, among which

stand out .

Bahía Creek has a stable population of only

, but on weekends and especially in the summer months, that number increases considerably.

The Ruta de los Acantilados or Camino de la Costa, in Río Negro.

In addition to the beach, which is characterized by the so-called active cliffs, since they recede 20 centimeters per year, another attraction are the

.

Las Conchillas Beach (Río Negro)

Undoubtedly, the great differential of this San Antonio Este spa are the millions of mussel, clam and scallop

that were washed to the shore by the force of the water and today cover the sand of the spa, creating a dazzling landscape.

Las Conchillas is characterized by the snails that cover the sand.

Photo rionegro.gov.ar.

With 12 kilometers of extension, this beach is recommended for those who seek

and want to get away from the places that are full of tourists.

Being a

beach , visitors usually witness unique shows, such as the appearance of a dolphin, sea lion or penguin.

It has a great

, and its waters attract artisanal fishermen.

Valuable fact

: in the area there are several options to enjoy the catch of the day.

At low tide, Las Grutas beach becomes very extensive.

Photo Ferdinand of the Order

Las Grutas (Black River)

It is one of the most

spas in Patagonia.

With a sea of ​​an intense blue color and warm waters despite the latitude in which it is located, it amazes visitors.

In the service area, the beach stretches for about

and has a maximum width of one kilometer at low tide.

Las Grutas is the most inviting beach in Patagonia.

Photo Fernando de la Orden.

There are ten beach

with entertainment, the possibility of doing water sports, social walks and sport fishing, both from the coast and from a boat.

A very popular activity is

.

In front of the third descent of the spa there is a platform that leads to a submerged rock formation, which is used for underwater baptism.

The site has a depth of between 3 and 6 meters and several marine species can be distinguished there.

Golden Beaches (Río Negro)

The beach of this town differs from others due to its

: extremely fine, the product of the fragmentation of quartz and shell.

The name is due to its color, which with the sun's rays produces a golden reflection.

In Playas Doradas kitesurfing, sandboarding, diving, fishing and pulpeo are practiced.

There are also

organized by the municipality, with games on the beach and tournaments of different disciplines and gymnastics classes.

In Playas Doradas recreation is offered for the whole family.

In addition, the seaside resort has a wide variety of

options : temporary rental houses and apartments, hotels and camping.

To the north of the resort is one of the last protected areas to be created, the Islote Lobos National Park, an area that is the habitat of large colonies of sea lions, Magellan penguins and various migratory birds.

Puerto Madryn (Chubut)

Famous for watching southern right whales and its great biodiversity, this destination also offers a wide range of options for those who arrive in summer.

Yoga on stand up paddle boards in front of Puerto Madryn.

Photo Verónica Naves.

In Puerto Madryn there are

, which go from the Luis Piedra Buena dock to the Monument to the Tehuelche Indian, and numerous hostels offer all kinds of services.

Visitors have the opportunity to take windsurfing or stand up paddle classes, go kayaking and participate in yoga classes, among other activities.

A great must-see of these inns is the

, full of dishes with seafood.

And for those looking to have

experiences , summer is the season for penguins, orcas, dolphins, elephant seals and a wide variety of birds.

Sea lions interact with snorkeling tourists.

Snorkeling

is an activity that can be done throughout the year and is highly recommended.

It is a unique experience in which people interact with these animals, play and have fun.

Union Beach (Chubut)

It is only 6 kilometers from the urban center of

, the capital of the province, and its name is due to an Italian ship called Unión that sank in the area due to a storm.

Playa Unión full of tourists.

Photo Daniel Feldmann.

During the summer months the coast is full of visitors and the seaside resort

.

Shops, bars and nightclubs are fully operational.

Just one kilometer from the beach is the port of Rawson, from where excursions to

, also known as Patagonian dolphins, depart.

It is a must for all tourists.

The walk lasts approximately one hour.

The mouth of the Chubut River is traveled to be able to spot

and different species of coastal birds.

The journey continues offshore in search of these animals, which are in the area all year round.

Shrimp (Chubut)

It is a

of approximately 2,000 inhabitants, located between Trelew and Comodoro Rivadavia.

Its beaches are extremely

and almost virgin.

The typical postcard of this destination is the

, with the sea and boats in the background.

Penguins on the beaches of Cabo Dos Bahías, near Camarones.

Photo Shutterstock.

In this town is the entrance to

, where the Cabo Dos Bahías Protected Natural Area is located, a little-visited reserve that has a great diversity of fauna.

In addition to a colony of Magellanic penguins, you can see sea lions, cormorants, guanacos, rheas and gray foxes, among many other species.

To take into account: in February the

is held .

It lasts three days, there are fishing contests and the celebration ends with the famous banquet, the Chupín del Pescador.

Rada Tilly (Chubut)

About 15 km south of Comodoro Rivadavia, this sandy beach is more than

 and has a firm sandy floor, which at low tide is more than 600 meters wide.

The wide sandy beach of Rada Tilly, 15 km from Comodoro Rivadavia.

Photo: Travel

Its beaches are chosen for water

such as kitesurfing, windsurfing, wakeboarding or kayaking.

In addition, during the summer there are beach volleyball, rugby, hockey, soccer and sand yachting matches, among others.

At the ends of the coast there are

of more than 160 meters, "El Arboledo" and "Falsa Punta", which allow you to contemplate the sunset over the sea and obtain a panoramic view of the city and the coast, among other points of interest. .

The city has an ideal

for walking, cycling and enjoying a delicious meal in the inns or restaurants that are next to the sea.

Along the coastal walk of Rada Tilly there are gastronomic options.

Photo Shutterstock.

A must-see of the destination is a visit to

, a little-known reserve where one can observe sea lions, which breed from December to April, and sometimes whales are also seen from above.

Puerto San Julian (Santa Cruz)

Along 27 kilometers of coastline, this town has

that appear between cliffs.

Sholl, Cabo Curioso, Playa de los Caracoles, Drake Beach, Garganta del Diablo and Playa La Mina are some of the ones that visitors can visit.

Replica of the ship Nao Victoria, which participated in the Magellan expedition, in Puerto San Julián.

In addition, the town has various attractions.

One of them is the

, where you can see a full-scale replica of that boat, one of those that participated in the famous Fernando de Magallanes expedition, the first to go around the world.

Reproductions of objects of daily use, navigation instruments and artillery are included.

Estancia La María is another of the great attractions, although it is located 150 km from the town.

It is an archaeological site of 22,000 hectares in which numerous

can be observed .

Long Beach (Tierra del Fuego)

Playa Larga is the name of a

located on the shores of

, very close to the city of Ushuaia.

Although it is not common to live a "beach life" in this destination due to the low temperatures, its coast is an alternative to enjoy the beautiful landscape, take walks or rest.

The Playa Larga reserve is on the Beagle Channel.

Photo Shutterstock.

In addition, the main interest and importance of this protected area lies in the

that were found there and that today are part of the cultural heritage of the province.

In Playa Larga there are "

", places where shells of mollusks and other archaeological materials were accumulated.

On the other hand, visitors, who usually go for walks, can use the fireplaces, structures in which it is allowed to make a

when the fire danger index is low or moderate.

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