Puerto Pirámides, founded by the Spanish in the 1770s, is the only village on Peninsula Valdes. They tried to eke a living from salt extraction from the Salina Grande, over 40 metres below sea level, and the Salina Chica towards the middle of the peninsula. The village overlooks the Golfo Nuevo and today it has a thriving tourist industry based on whale watching, although not so far away there are elephant seal and sea lion colonies as well as orcas, dolphins and penguins not to mention a plethora of Patagonian wildlife and birds, which also attracts thousands of nature lovers annually.

Puerto Pirámides only has a few streets so you can’t exactly get lost. Along the main thoroughfare you’ll not only find various agencies which operate boat trips into the bay to observe the Southern Right Whale at play, but tourist shops full of arts and crafts and souvenirs. There is a variety of accommodation plus a campsite and a few restaurants. Puerto Madryn, the nearest town, and from where many come for the day to the peninsula, is just over 100 km away on a paved road. The small tourist information centre in Puerto Piramides is on Primera Bajada. Open daily 8am-8pm. Tel: +54 (0) 2965 495101.