Day 6 – December 31, 2025
Puerto Madryn, Argentina
(Day 4 on the ship)
Happy New Year’s Eve!!! 🎊
We arrived in Puerto Madryn around 7 am and had breakfast delivered to the room since we needed to be in the Constellation Theater by 7:30 for our excursion. Today’s adventure: a trip to see the penguins at El Pedral in Punta Ninfas—something we’d been really looking forward to.
Punta Ninfas is a remote, windswept headland in Argentine Patagonia, located about 90 km (56 miles) southwest of Puerto Madryn. Known for its dramatic coastline, it’s home to southern elephant seals and a seasonal colony of Magellanic penguins (September–April). It’s also part of the breeding grounds for Southern Right whales, which frequent the area from late May through mid-December.
The drive took about an hour and a half over gravel roads—very bumpy and jarring. We were in a van with about 18 people, one of two vans headed to the same location. Our guide, Daniella, shared information along the way as we passed through vast, almost desert-like terrain. Wildlife sightings included rheas (also known as ñandú, a South American ostrich), guanacos (close relatives of llamas), sheep, horses, and a few cows.
Eventually, we arrived at El Pedral, an estancia (ranch) where the penguin colony is located. Magellanic penguins are native only to South America and gather in large breeding colonies along the coasts of Argentina and Chile. The Punta Ninfas colony is one of the youngest in the region. Each September, penguins return—often to the same mate and nest. The males arrive first to claim their nesting spots, and the females follow by recognizing their partner’s call. They usually lay two eggs, which hatch after about 40 days, with both parents sharing incubation and feeding duties. By autumn, the chicks are ready to head out to sea, migrating north toward Brazil for the winter before returning again in spring.
We stopped briefly at El Pedral Lodge, where we’d later return for lunch. The outdoor kitchen was already going, and the smell of grilling meat was incredible.
From there, it was a 15–20 minute walk to the coast—and that’s when the magic really started. At first, you notice one or two penguins standing quietly near their nests… then suddenly, there are hundreds. The closer we got to the water, the more appeared. Many had chicks with them, still covered in their fluffy down. You can walk surprisingly close to them, though we were warned not to try petting them—apparently, they bite! Watching them waddle around and then dive into the water was endlessly entertaining. I could have stayed there all day—and we took lots of pictures.
After about 30 minutes with the penguins, we headed back to the van and returned to El Pedral Lodge for lunch. The meal included empanadas, pork and beef sausage, salad, potatoes, and chopped pork—everything was delicious. Dessert was a sponge-like cake topped with a berry, something new to us and surprisingly tasty.
Then it was back into the van… and into a bit of chaos. The road in and out is only one lane (not ideal for daily tourist traffic), and we ran into oncoming vehicles. Since there were more of them than us, our vans had to back up through soft sand to find a pull-off—no easy task. This happened twice, though the second time our drivers firmly decided we weren’t backing up again. 😂 Eventually, it all worked out, and we made our bumpy way back to Puerto Madryn and the ship.
Once onboard, we grabbed espressos, showered, and met up with Catherine and Scott around 5 pm for canapés and drinks. At 6 pm, the ship’s bell rang, and everyone spilled into the hallways to toast with neighbors while waiting for the captain to come through and offer a New Year’s greeting—a really fun, communal moment.
Pre-dinner drinks were in the Observation Lounge (still our favorite spot), followed by photos in our New Year’s finery. Dinner at Chartreuse was—once again—outstanding. John and I both started with beetroot salad with goat cheese cream and black truffle dressing. John followed that with lobster bisque with Armagnac. I chose Dover sole with lemon, capers, beurre meunière, and parsley potatoes. John, clearly feeling ambitious, also enjoyed baked lobster tail with scallop mousse, asparagus, almond broth, and then moved on to rack of lamb with rosemary persillade, chickpea fritters, and jus. Portion sizes are small—which I absolutely love.
For dessert, John went (again) with the apple tart and vanilla ice cream, while I opted for crème brûlée. We all enjoyed the fortified wine paired with dessert, making it a fantastic final meal of the year.
After dinner, we headed to the atrium where music was already playing and the New Year’s celebration was in full swing. We made it past midnight—an accomplishment for John!—and stayed until about 1 am before calling it a night.
Back in the room, we battened down the hatches. The captain had warned us of rough seas overnight and into tomorrow, with winds and swells possibly reaching 15 feet. The weather wasn’t expected to start until morning, but we secured everything just in case.
Another incredible day—and night—to close out the year. 🥂
Tomorrow is a day at sea, and I have a pedicure scheduled for 10:30 am… assuming the seas cooperate!
