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Sea lions are cool. Orcas are cooler. And if you happen to be at Peninsula Valdés around February you just might witness one of the coolest, albeit most gruesome, showdowns between beasts in the wild. As sea lions give birth in huge numbers here, pods of orcas lurk in the shallows looking for a feast of pups. The killer whales come with a killer instinct and often lunge out of the water, beaching themselves to grab their unsuspecting prey.
If there’s no orca action, you can enjoy the purity of watching pups frolicking on the beach and bleating like lambs to their mothers. If you miss the February feast, never fear. Between June and December, the World Heritage-listed peninsula, on the central coast of Argentina, is prime whale-watching territory, with scores of southern rights breaching off the coast.
region: South America
Argentina
Saddle up your steed and grab your rebenque (whip), because this is cowboy country and things can get a little wild.
Argentina is home to famed herdsmen known as gauchos. These men are symbols of national pride, equally feared and admired for their patriotism and transient lifestyles. In the late 1800s, their talent for herding cattle morphed into smashing balls with sticks and now Argentina is considered the most advanced polo-playing country in the world – players who are poached by European teams are known as “hired assassins”. Argentina offers many equestrian tours for riders of all skill levels.
But it’s not all about horse whispering; Argentinians also speak the language of lust and never more so than when performing their national dance, the tango. This sultry shimmy is said to improve virility and protect from heart disease, which is just as well, since the locals here consumer more red meat than the residents of any other country. So sink your teeth into a juicy steak then feel the blood rise as you dance the night away.
