Monte León National Park

The Monte León 4x4: Wolves and Penguins excursion offers a unique opportunity to explore this national park from El Calafate. The experience combines the sea, the coast and the steppe with a landscape full of Patagonian fauna. It includes a walk among penguin nests until you reach a viewpoint from where you can appreciate the cliffs. In addition, you will visit the famous Lion's Head and go sea lion watching. The excursion starts at 6:30 a.m. when you are picked up at your hotel in El Calafate in an Overland 4x4 to go to Monte León National Park, the first one with a sea coast. On the way, you will cross the Patagonian steppe from west to east along the gravel Provincial Route Nº 9, with views of the Santa Cruz River and its valley. In addition, you will be able to see native Patagonian animals such as guanacos, foxes, rheas and even, on some occasions, pumas. You will make stops at panoramic points and you will be able to go up to the viewpoint that our Overland 4x4 vehicle has to contemplate the spectacular views that this valley has to offer. Around 11:30 a.m. you will enter Monte León heading towards the sea coast and where the protagonists of the excursion are found: the Magellanic penguins. Very close to the coast you will make a 1.5 hour trekking of low difficulty along the penguin colony path where you will be able to walk among penguins and their nests and observe the whole colony from its viewpoint. Monte León has one of the most important colonies of this species in Argentina. The excursion continues by 4x4 to the Lobería y Cabeza de León trail where you will be able to reach the edge of this imposing cliff that resembles a lion lying down and gives its name to the national park. Here you will be able to observe sea lions and, occasionally on the coast, cetaceans such as the right whale, the southern dolphin or the black and white Commerson's dolphin. The next stop of the excursion will be at the Monte León Island viewpoint from where you can observe its enormous colonies of cormorants and other species of marine birds characteristic of this environment. Finally, you will return to El Calafate by the same gravel road arriving at approximately 9:30 p.m. after having visited the only national park in Argentina with sea, coast and Patagonian steppe, which allows you to observe birds and animals that are very difficult to see in other places.