Gay Puerto Madryn: travel guide to the gay friendliest city in Chubut

Puerto Madryn in Argentina is THE super gay friendly destination of Patagonia.

It was one of the first cities in Argentina to introduce a Casamiento Express (Express Marriage) package for gay couples in which anyone can get married, with all the formalities in place in just 5 days.

On top of this, there's so much to do here like swimming with sea lion pups and whale. It is also the gateway to Peninsula Valdez where orcas can be spotted throughout the year, as well as to Punta Tombo, which has the largest colony of Magellanic Penguins in Latin America.

This is our gay travel guide to Puerto Madryn featuring the gay hangouts, places to stay, eat and fun activities to do.

Gay travel to Puerto Madryn

Whilst Puerto Madryn doesn't have a large gay scene like in Buenos Aires, there are a handful of gay friendly hangouts. It's also super chilled here, with a large gay Porteño community who wanted to move away from the big capital city to be closer to nature.

The waterfront promenade called “La Rambla” was our favourite place to hangout, whether for a morning jog or romantic evening sunset stroll. We noticed a few gay guys hanging out here cruising or using the outdoor gyms.

We found Puerto Madryn to be safe and super gay friendly. We had no issues booking a hotel here as a gay couple and even felt comfortable strolling along the beach promenade holding hands. The city has a very liberal mindset and warmly embraces LGBTQ tourism with open arms.

Just be warned, this is not the place to come if you want big gay parties – stay in Buenos Aires for that. Puerto Madryn is where you should come if you want to embrace wildlife and nature.

Best time to visit Puerto Madryn for:

• Whales: from June to early December
• Elephant seals: all year long but it is interesting to come during breeding season, which happens from December to March
• Penguins: from mid September to mid April but best to come in November when the babies are born
• Sea lions: all year round
• Orcas (killer whales): all year round
• Commerson's dolphins: all year round

Gay friendly hotels in Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn is a popular destination for gay honeymooners not only for the variety of nature and wildlife activities, but because of the high quality of accommodation options available both in the city and around. These are the best gay friendly hotels in Puerto Madryn city and in the surrounding area based on our experience and recommendations from other LGBTQ travellers:

01

Dazzler Hotel

There's a large rooftop space, which is a great spot for perving on the cute boys on the promenade below sunbathing, or just having a romantic cocktail in the evening! We loved the spa with it's relaxing treatment options, as well as the Jacuzzi and sauna. Even the gym features stunning views of the gulf.

The city centre is only 400m from the hotel, so you will easily be able to spend your time shopping and sightseeing. Dazzler is also near some of the best restaurants in Puerto Madryn, such as Nautico Bistro de Mar.

02

La Casa de Silvia

You'll be within walking distance of Puerto Madryn's main attractions, but the house is located in a quiet area a bit out of the city centre. The bedrooms are clean and comfortable, with a spa bath in your private bathroom – perfect for a relaxing soak at the end of a long day exploring!

The shared areas include the kitchen where you will be able to cook for yourself to save costs. There's a lovely terrace for relaxing, BBQ facilities and you can even bring your pet pooch along as well.

Swim with sea lions

If you can't get enough of the adorableness of sea lions then don't miss out on the opportunity to go snorkelling or SCUBA diving with these cute little guys! Getting face to face with a baby sea lion is a memory you'll never forget.

Find out more

03

El Retorno Hostel

A basic but yummy breakfast is included in the price, with dulce de leche! Most rooms have shared bathrooms but for a very decent rate, you can also book a room with a private bathroom or even an apartment.

There's a shared kitchen space for cooking as well as a rooftop terrace to relax and enjoy the sunset. This is not a luxury hotel but if you want somewhere clean, comfortable, and affordable then it's perfect.

Must do: Whale watching tour

Peninsula Valdes is one of the best places in Latin America to see whales and their babies. Make sure you book a boat tour to get as close as possible to these majestic creatures as they nurse their young and play in the water.

Book your tour

04

El Pedral Lodge

This lodge is very exclusive with only 8 rooms available. Full board packages include all meals, alcoholic drinks, transfers, and 3 guided excursions to see the local wildlife. It's an amazing place to get right up close to the Magellanic penguin colony on the local beach, as well as spotting elephant seals and whales.

You will really feel like you are part of the family while staying with the lovely hosts and be able to spend time with other guests (if there are any) over meals or while swimming in the outdoor pool. This is truly an enchanting way to disconnect from the world and relax in nature.

Gay bars in Puerto Madryn

Puerto Madryn is not a party destination. You're better off staying in Buenos Aires if that's what you want. However, there are a few gay friendly bars and clubs recommended to us by gay locals. It is also worth noting that the promenade along the beach is where we saw a lot of gay boys hanging out.

Note that the awesome gay Disco Bar La Frontera did not survive the Pandemic and has since shut its doors for good as has the Margarita Pub.

Argentina Bar

The Argentina is a gay friendly bar near the bus station, playing the best Latino pop tunes and Colombian cumbia. They have live music on some nights, karaoke on Wednesdays, and hard-rock-themed events on Sundays. They also offer up free pizzas on Thursdays and double happy hour every night. Argentina Bar is open Tuesday – Sunday and is located at Hipólito Yrigoyen 296.

Gay events / festivals in Puerto Madryn

There are no gay festivals in Puerto Madryn. But the LGBTQ community of the city gets involved in the following events, which are worth checking out:

• Madryn Rock Festival (January): Every January this rock festival is held in the town of Puerto Madryn. For three days national and international rock bands take to the stage on the campus of the Guillermo Brown football club. As well as live rock music there are stands and characters related to the event throughout the festival grounds.
• National Cordero Festival (January): Another interesting event that takes place in January. It's a celebration of traditional Patagonian livestock practices including rodeo, sheep shearing, and sheep-dog trials. Along with seeing demonstrations of these skills, you'll also be able to purchase items from local artisans and eat delicious grilled lamb from the traditional (and massive) bonfires.
• LGBT+ National Beach Games (February): A new event has cropped up with the LGBT+ National Beach Games being held on the beach of Puerto Madryn for the first time in 2021. This should continue in the future, so keep an eye out for the next ones!
• Madryn Comestible (throughout the year): Foodies will definitely want to time their visit with the Madryn Comestible, an “edible fair” which takes place on significant weekends throughout the year, like St. Patrick’s Day and Carnival. When the Madryn Comestible is on you will find food-trucks filled with deliciousness as well as music, raffles and more. 
•  Madryn Al Plato (August): another gastronomic event for visitors to Puerto Madryn, although this one is held over a weekend in August that coincides with the start of the whale-watching season. Lots of delicious regional dishes are cooked for locals and travelers alike to try, while spotting whales, and best of all – it’s free!

Things to do in Puerto Madryn

There is so much to do in and around Puerto Madryn, you would need a month to do it all. The activities you can do depend on the season you arrive and the wildlife you want to see. We highlight below our favourite activities to do in Puerto Madryn:

Swimming with sea lions

We had previously snorkelled with sea lions in the Galapagos and will never forget it. In Puerto Madryn, you can get even closer to them with curious, playful sea lion pups climbing on you in the water. This was one of our favourite memories from Puerto Madryn. Sea lion tours can be done all year round at Punta Loma.

Whale watching

We loved whale watching in Sri Lanka and were excited to do the same in Puerto Madryn. This is one of the most famous spots in Latin America where you can see whales and their babies. If you go scuba diving to see the famous wreck near Puerto Madryn, there's also a high chance of seeing whales during the dive. The whale watching season runs from June until early December. You can even go whale watching in a submarine!

Conversations with penguins

Punta Tombo is home to the largest colony of Magellanic Penguins in Latin America. They are less than 50cm tall and absolutely adorable! They arrive in late September to nest and mate. The chicks are born in November and stay with their parents for around 3 months. By the end of April, most of the penguins will have left. Punta Tombo is around 2 hours drive from Puerto Madryn but you can easily join a full-day tour to see the penguins!

See Orcas (killer whales)

After watching the sad Black Fish documentary, we really wanted to see orcas in the wild. They swim past certain spots in Peninsula Valdez to hunt their prey, which are sea lions or elephant seal pups. We were lucky enough to spot them, but not quick enough to take a photo. You can also see them from the water (during the right season) on a whale-watching tour.

Spot Dolphins

Commerson's dolphins can be seen throughout the year with a boat tour from Rawson port. They are smaller than most dolphins with a unique black and white pattern, similar to orcas. It's not always guaranteed to see them, but tours allow you to return on the same ticket if this happens. Rawson is around 1-hour drive away from Puerto Madryn.

Walk near Elephant Seals

Peninsula Valdez is the place to come to see elephant seals in the wild, particularly at Punta Norte, Punta Ninfas and Caleta Valdez. They can be seen all year round, with the highest activity during their breeding season from December to March. If you like hiking you might enjoy this day-trip that will get you up close and personal to these huge seals!

Learn about the history of Puerto Madryn

While you're in Puerto Madryn (in between all your wildlife-watching) you should definitely take some time to learn about the history of this city that was originally founded by Welsh settlers. If you join this Puerto Madryn city tour you'll get to see all the main sights as well as the monument to the Indian Tehuelche; the former indigenous inhabitants of the area.

Visit a Welsh village with a dinosaur museum

Learn more about the Welsh immigrants to the Chubut region by exploring the quaint cities of Trelew and Gaiman as a day trip from Puerto Madryn. You can have some traditional Welsh afternoon tea as well as learning all about the dinosaur remains found in the area at the Museum of Palaeontology in Trelew.

Explore the Valdes Peninsula and the town of Puerto Piramides

If you're using a car on your travels then you'll definitely want to drive into the Valdes Peninsula and see what wildlife you can spot for yourself. Make sure you also stop off at the groovy town of Puerto Piramides, which is full of funky cafes and a museum where you can see whale fossils. If you're not driving yourself then this full-day tour will take you to Puerto Piramides as well as all the main seal and penguin watching sites!

Visit the Ecocentro

Gay friendly restaurants in Puerto Madryn

Since this is a port city you will be able to eat the freshest (and most delicious) seafood! There are several cozy pubs, seafront restaurants, and Italian eateries to choose from. Most of Puerto Madryn's restaurants also have lovely terraces to relax while enjoying the sunset. Here are our favorite places to eat in Puerto Madryn.

Nautico Bistro de Mar

For delicious seafood, as well as burgers, pizza, home-made pasta, and even breakfast, we just loved Nautico Bistro de Mar. Located right on the beachfront you can sit in the restaurant or on the sand overlooking the beautiful gulf waters. There are also regular live shows to go with your dinner and the little ocean-themed decor pieces are a cute touch. Nautico is located at 860 Boulevard Almirante Guillermo Brown.

Gurupan

Gurupan is a vegetarian bakery/cafe with plenty of vegan options available. Locals and travelers alike rave that this is the best place to get vegan food in Argentina so make sure you stop by for tasty treats like vegan samosas, vegan empanadas, vegetable pies, soy burgers, juices, and bread. Everything is homemade and the owner is very friendly and helpful as there's no written menu!

Cantina el Nautico

Located around the corner from Nautico Bistro de Mar (and run by the same people) is the charming Cantina el Nautico. This restaurant has been run for 50 years by the same family, serving up yummy Argentinian dishes of seafood and meat (seriously, try the steak!) along with vegetarian options. The atmosphere here is very relaxed, even though it does get busy, which just goes to show how good it is since it’s so popular. Cantina el Nautico is located at Avenue Julio A Roca 790.

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Coral Resto Pizza Café

If being beach-side isn’t quite enough for you, you can have dinner with your feet literally in the sand at Coral Resto Pizza Café! This is another lovely family-run restaurant in Puerto Madryn, but here the focus is on European fare, with scrumptious pizzas cooked in clay ovens and homemade pasta, as well as Welsh-style high tea on weekends or freshly baked croissants all day. Of course, there are also plenty of seafood dishes (it is on the beach after all!), plus Coral is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can find it on Boulevard Brown 1306.

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Before you go

We've put together some helpful tips for gay travelers to Puerto Madryn here. These little nuggets of info should help you to plan your own fantastically gay getaway to this Argentinean gem.

Gay map of Puerto Madryn

Here we've made a map showing all our favourite gay friendly accommodation, restaurants, bars and things to do in Puerto Madryn. Use it to plan your own fabulous stay by the bay!

For more inspiration:

• Spotting killer whales at Peninsula Valdes
• Patagonia best gay hotels
• Interesting facts about Patagonia
• Top things to do in Patagonia
• The ultimate gay guide to Buenos Aires
• 15 awesome gay bars in Buenos Aires
• Best gay hotels in Buenos Aires
• Interview with Juan from Buenos Aires
• Cordoba gay travel guide
• A complete gay guide to Rosario
• Mendoza gay travel guide
• Our favourite Argentinian foods
• Interesting facts about Argentina

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