What is it like and where is Punta Perdices, the incredible beach known as the “Patagonian Caribbean”

An infinite sea, transparent and without waves. It is not a postcard from the Caribbean, but from a beach in Argentina without mass tourism and that maintains its wild imprint.

Punta Perdiceslocated 4 km from the center of Puerto San Antonio Este and 65 km from Las Grutas, gained popularity in recent years after being baptized as the “Patagonian Caribbean”.

Gradually, more curious visitors arrive each season. But until a few years ago, it was only frequented by people from the area.

This site of the province of Río Negro It is a paradise for those looking for places little exploredget away from big cities, connect with nature and be surprised by the landscapes of the Atlantic Coast.

The beach is characterized by its calm waters and with little waves, which makes it an ideal setting for kayaking, stand up paddle or doing boat activities.

In addition, it offers an unusual spectacle due to the great amplitude of the tides that causes the landscape change radically.

“We have two high tides and two low tides. They are given every six hours and every day you run for an hour,” explains Carolina Fernández, owner of the only parador on the beach.

“There are people who come to Punta Perdices and say: ‘This is not what I expected’ or ‘It is not what I saw in photos.’ That’s because they come for three hours and at low tide. All the photos you see are at high tide. If you really want to know Punta Perdices you have to come and spend a complete day“, Explain.

Another characteristic of this beach is the thousands of shells that are found on the ground. Although many tourists are tempted to grab them, it is important to preserve the place and not take anything.

The services on this site are limited. However, there is only one parador that has the same name as the beach, where they offer drinks, food, umbrella rentals and bathrooms.

“It’s a family business which started three years ago. We are a family from San Antonio Oeste and we have been coming to the Port for many years. The first season we started only with churros, last year, we added a bar with smoothies and drinks, and in February of that year we also added a cart with savory options,” says Fernández.

The specialty of the house and the favorite product of visitors are the churros. A dozen costs $5,000. As for salty options, there are rabas and prawns for $6,000, hamburgers for $5,000, and potato cones and hot dog for $3,000 each.

They also rent at the parador umbrellas and they have chemical bathroom service.

All visitors should know that it is an emerging place, with little signal and no internet connection, so the cash It is the only means of payment.

It is recommended to bring hats and umbrellas as there is no shadow. It is also suggested to bring ice, because it is not sold on the beach, and water.

“We take great care of our place, we make sure that cars don’t get on the shell blanket, we don’t have to take them away either. You cannot make a fire or camp,” Fernández clarifies.

Tourists should also consider the supply of combustible necessary to go and return to the San Antonio Oeste service station.

Important: In Punta Perdices there is no lifeguard service.

In addition to this beach, the Bahía de San Antonio Protected Natural Area, which includes sectors of the Port of San Antonio Este, the city of San Antonio Oeste and the Las Grutas Spa, offers a great diversity of marine fauna.

Less than 3 km from Punta Perdices, in Puerto San Antonio Este, is the Rupestre Patagónica Experience, a tourism provider that offers different boarded tours.

Wildlife sightings are carried out between October and April. Depending on the month, you can see South American one-haired and two-haired fur seals, common and bottlenose dolphins, Magellanic penguins and a wide variety of birds.

The excursion costs $25,000 for adults and $15,000 for children up to 12. Children from 0 to 3, free. The price also gives access to the use of kayaks and stand up paddle boards.

Punta Perdices, from Las Grutas is reached through National Route 3 to the roundabout that connects with Provincial Route 1 and along that same road to Puerto del Este, very close on the same peninsula is Punta Perdices.