Cabo Dos Bahias Nature Reserve

Information

It is a protected area located in the Argentine province of Chubut, along the coast of the Argentine Sea. Its full name is Cabo Dos Bahías Integrated Tourist Nature Reserve. To enter, a ticket must be paid (it's worth confirming whether it can be purchased directly at the reserve or if it needs to be obtained beforehand at the Camarones tourism office). It has restrooms but no other type of service, so it's advisable to bring everything needed for the time you plan to stay: food, drinks, sunscreen, warm clothing just in case and any other personal items.

To get there, from the town of Camarones you head south on Provincial Route 1, which is a dirt road. After driving 6.5 km a secondary road opens to the left. It's approximately 19 km along that road to reach the entrance of the reserve. It's worth mentioning that the entire route can be considered a trip in itself, as it passes through wild landscapes with various access points to wide beaches and coves that invite you to stop, explore and enjoy a picnic. It's common to find very few visitors or even no one at all at any time of the year, which adds to the feeling of being in a truly natural and solitary environment.

Cabo Dos Bahías is a unique place for those interested in being in contact with nature. It has trails and areas to explore on foot, leading to different panoramic viewpoints and corners of the reserve. The landscapes are excellent, vast and representative of the Patagonian coast. It's very common to come across native wildlife typical of the area which often appears near visitors: guanacos (a South American camelid), lesser rheas (a smaller species of rhea), skunks and along the shoreline various birds such as skuas, gulls and other coastal species.

One of the main attractions is the penguin colony, which can be visited via elevated walkways. The penguins, all of the magellanic penguin species (Spheniscus magellanicus), are present from October to March (they begin arriving in September and leave by April). At the end of the walkway route there is a large viewpoint from which you can see sea lions resting on the coast in the distance.