Área Natural Protegida Punta Loma

Área Natural Protegida Punta Loma is a wildlife reserve located about 17 km southeast of Puerto Madryn, in the Departamento Biedma of the province of Chubut. It covers 1,707 hectares of plains and plateau scrubland along the coast of the Golfo Nuevo, and ranks among the oldest protected areas in Patagonia: it was established in 1967 under Provincial Law No. 697, making it the first of its kind to initiate the system of natural protected areas in the province of Chubut.

Fauna

The reserve’s main feature is the permanent colony of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens), which can be observed year-round from the elevated lookout overlooking the Golfo Nuevo. The reserve also hosts a stable colony of Magellanic cormorants (Leucocarbo bougainvillii), and kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus), yellow-billed terns, and royal terns can be spotted, among other coastal seabirds.

Beyond visits from the lookout, some local operators offer ecological cruises and snorkelling activities in the adjacent marine area, where sea lions are also visible from the water.

Flora and landscape

The terrain combines mid-height cliffs with extensive gravel beaches. The bardas — the sedimentary formations that characterise the site and give it its name — preserve within their strata fossil remains of oysters and marine vertebrates. The reserve has an interpretive trail where visitors can observe the native flora of the Patagonian steppe and monte: jarilla (Larrea), algarrobillo (Prosopis denudans), piquillín (Condalia microphylla), quilimbay (Chuquiraga aurea), molle (Schinus), jume (Allenrolfea vaginata), and zampa (Atriplex lampa), among other species.

Visit

The area is open to the public and receives an average of around 57,600 visitors per year. It can be reached from Puerto Madryn by bicycle, though the access road is unpaved and in some sections the surface is sandy. Current entry fees can be consulted and downloaded on the Chubut Patagonia website.