Think of Patagonia, and you probably picture snowy peaks, glacial lakes, grazing guanacos, soaring condors, and even pumas. But there’s another Patagonia marked by coastal landscapes and marine wildlife. A large swath of oceanfront Patagonia is now protected within a marine and land reserve called Parque Patagonia Azul. Here’s how to explore the newest protected area in the Patagonia region of southern Argentina.

What is Parque Patagonia Azul?

Located in Chubut Province in the Patagonia region of southern Argentina, Patagonia Azul Provincial Park was created in 2025, incorporating the Cabo Dos Bahías Protected Natural Area and the Patagonia Austral Interjurisdictional Marine Coastal Park, which were established previously. The provincial park. overseen by the government of Chubut Province, covers 729,294 acres (295,235 hectares). Nearly 100,0o acres (39,829 hectares) are terrestrial. The remaining 630,000 acres (255,306 hectares) are marine.

The reserve is roughly the size of Yosemite National Park, and includes a no-take zone within the protected waters, which local artisanal fisherpeople have supported because the protection creates a fish rookery that has improved overall fishing in the area.

Parque Patagonia Azul has 280 miles (450 km) of coastline facing South Atlantic waters where marine species, including sea lions, orcas, and other dolphins concentrate and where marine birds, including penguins, nest. Minke, humpback, sei, and even rarely-seen blue whales (one was documented in park waters in 2025) migrate past. There are 60 islands close to shore, and lush kelp forests support their own underwater biodiversity.

A core area of tourism infrastructure in the park was created on land protected and overseen by the Rewilding Argentina Foundation (formerly known as Tompkins Conservation). This includes areas around the Isla Leones entrance and the Bahia Bustamante entrance, including the Isla Leones Camps complex, the Marisma Camps complex, various campgrounds, and guided activities.

Rewilding Argentina has also created educational and immersive conservation-minded community outreach programs that benefit local communities and encourage interaction with the park.

What can I do in Parque Patagonia Azul?

Part of the joy of visiting Parque Patagonia Azul is the chance to do nothing more than enjoy the peace and quiet and take in the natural beauty. More active endeavors include seasonal whale watching, hiking, boat excursions, snorkeling, swimming, wildlife spotting, and horseback riding.

Hiking

Short hiking trails offer the chance to explore the coastline. One morning, we went on a guided walk from our casita at Isla Leones Camps (more on that below) to the top of a rocky bluff for views along the coastline and out to sea. Then we walked down to Arredondo Bay, past an archaeological site that’s believed to be where members of the Indigenous Tehuelche culture cleaned and prepared mussels and other seafood.

Snorkeling and swimming

It’s also possible to take a dip in the bay in front of your casita at Isla Leones Camps. One day, we donned wetsuits (the water here is icy cold even at the height of summer) and snorkelled through a dense kelp forest that exists just offshore. This was a serene, bracing, and invigorating experience.

Horseback riding

A small stable is operated within Parque Patagonia Azul and visitors can book guided horseback rides through the grassy steppe and onto the beach. Horses are well-trained, and the traditional Argentine tack is very comfortable.

Interpretation center visit

A small interpretation center has been set up in a restored stone building where two rooms on the ground floor have been given over to artists who’ve installed exhibits that depict the area’s flora and fauna and some of the threats they face. There’s also a small cafe in this building.

Boat trips

When seas and winds are calm enough, guests at Isla Leones Camps can take a boat trip (included in your casita rate) to visit Faro Isla Leones, with its infamous lighthouse, tour other offshore sights, and look for marine wildlife. Unfortunately, conditions were so windy during our stay that we never got on the boat.

Seasonal whale watching boat trips are also offered during migration season, which runs from June to December. The number of whales peaks in September and October.

Kayaking

Visitors to Isla Leones Camps and Marisma Camps can also kayak when winds and seas are calm enough.

Where can I stay in Parque Patagonia Azul?

Two oceanfront complexes, created and run by Rewilding Argentina, provide very comfortable basecamps with all meals and activities included. The same organization also created well-built free campgrounds that can accommodate tents and RVs.

Isla Leones Camps

Opened in 2024, Isla Leones Camps (US$250 to US$280 per person per night, including all meals, drinks, and activities) offers six very comfortable 2-person casitas built in the traditional Camarone style with corrugated metal and decorated eaves. Some casitas come with two single beds and an attached bathroom. Others provide a double bed and the use of a shared bathroom unit nearby with showers and toilets. All casitas have small patios facing the bay and screens on the windows to let in cool breezes but not the bugs. There’s no A/C and no TVs. Power is mostly solar (with a backup generator), so don’t pack your hair dryer.

Isla Leones gets its name from a nearby island that’s home to what remains of the Faro Isla Leones (Leones Island Lighthouse). This round metal lighthouse worked as a manned signal for years before being replaced by an unmanned lighthouse nearby. Some believe the deserted Faro Isla Leones is now haunted. It is certainly in a state of eerie disrepair.

Wander out your front door and stroll the beach to look for shells. Check out the tide pools. Then take a seat in the shaded pergola or on your casita patio and watch the extreme tides roll in and out like clockwork. Listen to the surge of the sea and the tinkle and rattle of pebbles as waves shift them on shore. Scan the horizon to find the source of distant sea lion calls. And watch seabirds swoop and hunt.

Meals (included in all-inclusive rates) are served in a shared lounge building at a communal dining table. Here, a chef transplanted from Mendoza worked wonders in a remarkably tiny space. Often using seafood, fish, and seaweed–not exactly ingredients that Mendoza is known for–he turned out winners like homemade toothsome and tender fettuccini made with algae. And an elegant, fragrant flan with dulce de leche and peach and plum jam.

Get an aerial view of Isla Leones Camps and parts of Parque Patagonia Azul in our drone video below.

Marisma Camps

Opened in 2025, Marisma Camps is located about 1.5 hours on a gravel road south of Isla Leones Camps, toward Comodoro Rivadavia. Marisma is the Spanish word for marsh. This complex is so named because it’s located right next to a tidal marsh that floods with the tides. The coming and going sea water creates biodiversity that provides a resting and feeding area for fish and endemic and migratory birds.

All of the casitas at Marisma Camps face the sea. All have double beds and private bathrooms, and they’re all roomier than the casitas at Isla Leones Camps. Bonus points for the clever space-saving luggage shelves that flip down flush with the wall when not in use.

The open-plan communal building at Marisma Camps is also larger than at Isla Leones and features a larger communal dining table and a more comfortable living room area with sofas and epic views. The kitchen here is also bigger, and it’s deftly overseen by Carola Puracho, a Camarones native known for her use of local algae. Carola’s dad ran a simple restaurant in Camarones where the self-taught chef got her first experiences in the kitchen.

Meals at Marisma Camps, included in the all-inclusive rates, never come with a menu. Instead, Carola–who is quick to smile, short but forceful, and often has two playful pigtails on the top of her head–serves what’s available, prepared as she likes. For example, one lunch started with toasted homemade bread topped with pickled vegetables with algae elegantly arranged on top, to create a tart, acidic, and crunchy dish. This was followed by artisanally fished snook served with carrot puree,  roasted tomatoes, and caramelized onions. The meal was capped off with a light and bright lemon pie.

The bounty of the sea was front and center at dinner as well, which started with spicy gazpacho with zingy and zesty sea asparagus, homemade pasta made with algae and filled with fish in a butter and sage sauce, and moist and light chocolate and black bean cake topped with a crisped bit of seaweed dipped in chocolate.

Camping in Parque Patagonia Azul

Rewilding Argentina also runs campgrounds within Parque Patagonia Azul, including Arredondo Campground. This free campground near Isla Leones Camps offers six flat tent sites with picnic tables, dry toilets, plus a communal building with heat, a table, a sofa, and a shared kitchen with a gas oven and basic utensils. The Arredondo Campground also offers two hot showers and easy access to a 1,640-foot (500-meter) trail to peaceful Arredondo Bay.

The Cañadon del Sauce Campground has 10 tent sites with tables and running water taps (not potable), a shared wood fire cooking area and amphitheater, dry toilets, a building with flush toilets and hot showers.

The only campground that’s open all year is the oceanfront Arroyo Marea Campground. Accessed through the Bahia Bustamante entrance, this place is visited by local people who fish and spend the day or the weekend. Facilities include tent sites, fire pits, grills, composting toilets, interpretive trails, and a shelter with a communal kitchen and dining area.

RVs are welcome to park in small parking areas at each campground, including the use of campground facilities. There are no dump stations or electrical hook-ups, however.

Bahia Bustamante Lodge

Located within park boundaries but operated independently, Bahia Bustamante offers rooms and a restaurant in buildings that were part of a seaweed-processing facility facing Bustamante Bay. Explorations of the coastal landscape are also offered, giving visitors the chance to see incredible wildlife on land and at sea, including penguins, orcas, guanacos, sea lions, giant petrels, dolphins, and much more. The wildlife diversity has prompted some to call Bahia Bustamante, which is open from October 1 through the Easter holiday, a “secret Galapagos”. Get more in our full post about exploring Bahia Bustamante.

When should I visit Parque Patagonia Azul?

Isla Leones Camps and Marisma Camps are both open from November 1 to mid-April. The provincial park itself is open from October 1 to mid-April. Bahia Bustamante is open from October 1 through Easter. And, as noted, the Arroyo Marea Campground is also open year-round.

Spring and summer months offer the mildest temperatures, but are also the windiest seasons in Patagonia (remember that South American seasons are opposite those in North America and Europe). It was so windy when we were in Parque Azul in December that we were not able to do any boat trips or kayaking, and hiking was also limited.  The wind was so strong during our stay at Marisma Camps that the sea was churning, it was difficult to walk between our casita and the common building, and we had to keep our door locked to ensure it wouldn’t blow open. But wind like that is part of the adventure throughout Patagonia during South American spring and summer months.

Getting to Parque Patagonia Azul

The nearest airport is in the city of Comodoro Rivadavia. Rent a car there (a 4X4 is not necessary to reach Parque Patagonia Azul), then take paved Ruta 1 (aka Ruta Azul) to the village of Camarones, 155 miles (250 km) to the north. Camarones, the oldest town in Chubut Province, is a waterfront charmer and worth a stop to admire the traditional architecture, which incorporates corrugated iron and embellished eaves.

Established as a port for exporting the region’s prized wool, Camarones was also the home of the father of former President Juan Peron (the original house was rebuilt after a fire and is now a museum). These days, Camarones is a town built on fishing and tourism. There are a handful of guesthouses and restaurants in Camarones, should you want to spend a night or two. There is also a gas station in Camarones where you can fill your tank.

From Camarones, it’s a 12-mile (20-km) drive south on a gravel road to reach Isla Leones Camps. Marisma Camps is a further 1.5 hours south along the same gravel road.

 

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