puerto natales penguin tour

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Penguin tour in magdalena island by boat from punta arenas, why choose this excursion.

• Meet the amazing penguins
• English speaking guides
• Transfers in/out from your hotel in Punta Arenas

Enjoy the penguins in Magdalena Island

Easy cancellation.

If you need to cancel or postpone, just send us an email and we will take care of everything.

Direct Communication With the Operator

You will have the WhatsApp for the operator of your choose excursion. No more lost pick ups!

English Speaking Guide and Small Groups

Almost all of our tours are done in small groups. All of them have english speaking guides.

Sail on a comfortable catamaran to Magdalena Island, where you will encounter the astonishing colony of Magellanic penguins and the lighthouse that bears the island’s name, in the heart of the Strait of Magellan. Begin this unparalleled adventure with check-in at 842 Avenida Colon, then board a fast catamaran for an hour and 30 minutes journey to Magdalena Island, one of the largest Magellanic penguin colonies in South America. At the site, we may also spot Black-browed Albatrosses, Skuas, Dolphin Gulls, Cormorants, and Kelp Gulls in the surrounding skies. After walking for 1 hour, the return journey to Punta Arenas begins, where you will have the opportunity, if luck is on our side, to spot Southern Dolphins, Commerson’s Dolphins, and Sei Whales. Undoubtedly an unmatched journey.

The excursion to Magdalena Island from Punta Arenas promises an unforgettable journey into the heart of the Strait of Magellan’s natural wonders. Setting off from Punta Arenas, travelers embark on a leisurely catamaran cruise across the historic strait, soaking in panoramic views along the way. Upon arrival at Magdalena Island, visitors are greeted by the mesmerizing sight of a vast colony of Magellanic penguins, bustling amidst the island’s rugged terrain. Exploring the island reveals not only the charming antics of these iconic birds but also the intriguing history of the island’s historic lighthouse, offering sweeping vistas of the surrounding landscapes. As travelers wander the island’s trails, they may also be treated to sightings of other seabirds and marine mammals, adding to the allure of the experience. After a memorable encounter with nature’s wonders, the return journey to Punta Arenas offers the chance to spot Southern Dolphins, Commerson’s Dolphins, and Sei Whales, completing an unforgettable excursion immersed in the untamed beauty of Patagonia.

What is Included

• Navigation in Cathamaran to Magdalena Island
• Entrance fee to Monumento Natural los Pinguinos (Conaf)
• Transfers in/out from hotels in Punta Arenas (can be added in the booking process)
• Cancellation Policy

Is this tour available all the year?

No, the tour only runs from OCT 15 to MARCH 31, during penguin season

What´s the duration of the tour?

The tour takes 4.5 hours

Are meals included?

No, meals are not included.

• Pick up and drop off from hotels in Punta Arenas
• What's Included

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Step 1 of 2

Booking Details (1/2)

Complete your booking (2/2), billing address, booking faqs, how do i book.

Once you’ve filled out the booking form, you’ll be directed to PayPal to complete your tour payment. You also have the option to pay with your credit card even if you don’t have a PayPal account.

What Happens After Booking?

After you’ve successfully completed your booking and payment, you’ll promptly receive a confirmation of your purchase. Within 24 hours , you’ll receive the voucher required for your participation in the activity.

If you’ve reserved an activity for the next day , there’s no need to worry. We’ll ensure that you receive the voucher before your activity begins.

Do I Need to Print my Voucher?

No, printing is not necessary. You can simply show your voucher on your mobile device , and it will be sufficient for check-in or participation in the activity.

Are There Any Age or Health Restrictions?

Certain activities may impose age or health restrictions for the safety of participants .

These restrictions will be clearly outlined in the activity details. We encourage you to review this information before making a booking. If you have any concerns or require clarification, don’t hesitate to contact us.

I Have Other Questions...

Just head to our Contact Page and send us your enquiries.

MAGDALENA island NAVIGATION TOUR

Tour Description

Definitively the penguin island. Unmissable navigation through the Magellan Strait, which will take you to this little island at 35 km from Punta Arenas to appreciate the lives of 60 thousand Magellan penguin couples. 

The excursion begins when the ship sails from Muelle Prat at 07:30 am. We will sail along the coast of Punta Arenas, giving the chance of taking great panoramic pictures of Punta Arenas. The navigation will continue through the strait of Magellan lasting approximately one hour. Once arriving at the island our excursion begins by following a path that will lead us to the beacon house, a place that detailly informs us about the history of this place and the ecological diversity of the island. After this, we will sail again to return, 

The excursion lasts about 4:30 hours from departure. The entrance to the park is included in the tour. The departures are programmed at 7:30, every day of the week since the first of November and without a minimum of passengers. As a reminder, bring warm clothes, sunglasses, and comfortable shoes. If the excursion is canceled because of weather conditions, 100% of the canceled value is refunded.

More info…

Starting Location

Salida: 9am

3 Passengers

Medium Difficulty

Shared transport

Entry ticket to the park

Not Included

pick up in hotel

We recommend

Payment in cash

GENERAL CONDITIONS AND CANCELLATION POLICIES

Cancellations / modifications.

You can cancel up to 72 hours in advance and we will refund 100% of the payment. You can also reschedule according to availability and date.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

This excursion is made with a minimum of  paxs.

Reference Map of the tour

Other excursions

• From Puerto Natales
• Navigations

FULL DAY TIERRA DEL FUEGO KING PENGUIN Park

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FULL DAY PALI AIKE FROM Punta Arenas

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TREKKING FRENCH VALLEY TORRES DEL PAINE FROM Punta Arenas

From Puerto Natales , Full Day , Trekking

TREKKING MOUNT TARN FROM Punta Arenas

Kayak strait of magellan from punta arenas.

Half Day , From Punta Arenas , Full Day

NAVIGATION ISLA MAGDALENA DESDE PUNTA ARENAS

From Punta Arenas , Half Day , Navigations

FULL DAY TORRES DEL PAINE FROM Puerto Natales

Full Day , From Puerto Natales

Full Day Torres del Paine From Punta Arenas

Full Day Perito Moreno GLACIER

From Puerto Natales , Full Day

Full Day Whales, Penguins, and Glaciers

Navigations , From Punta Arenas , Full Day , Trekking

Trekking Base Torres

Trekking San Isidro Lighthouse

Trekking , From Punta Arenas , Full Day

Balmaceda & Serrano Glacier Navigation

From Puerto Natales , Full Day , Navigations

Excursion available as private tour

Excursion Gallery

Request a personalized quote

PENGUINS ON MAGDALENA ISLAND

Tourist cabin usd 118 per person, plus cabin usd 153 per person.

Ask us the children rates under 12

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Location : Magdalena Island, Magellan Strait, Punta Arenas.

Season : From October until March.

Duration : 4 hours approximately.

Difficulty : Suitable for all levels.

Capacity : 150 people.

Check in / Departure / Arrival times :

Morning schedule: 7:00 am / 8:00 am / 12:00 pm

Afternoon schedule (with a minimum of 20 passengers during all season): 1:30 pm / 2:30 pm / 6:30 pm

The navigation is subject to weather conditions. In the case of not being able to disembark on the Island due to weather conditions, 50% of the amount paid will be refunded.

Included / Not Included

Included : Port charges, entrance to “Los Pinguinos” natural monument, English speaking guide.

Tourist Cabin : transfer IN to the pier from the meeting point in Punta Arenas downtown.

PLUS Cabin : transfer IN/OUT to the pier from hotel in Punta Arenas (urban area), one snack per person.

Not inlcuded: food.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Warm and waterproof clothes, comfortable and waterproof shoes, gloves, hat, personal backpack, sun cream, sunglasses.

Embark on this catamaran navigation to visit the penguin colonies of Magdalena Island!

Boarding from Arturo Prat Pier, we head to “Los Pingüinos” Natural Monument, located on Magdalena Island, 35 kilometers northeast of Punta Arenas. After an hour and a half sailing through the Strait of Magellan, we arrive at the island where we disembark and visit the Penguin Colony for about one hour. The trail allows you to closely appreciate protected fauna species such as the Magellanic penguin, the Dominican gull, the black-browed albatross and the imperial cormorant. After this, we return back to Punta Arenas Pier.

Rescheduling and cancellation flexibility in all our tours and programs

We will pick you up at your hotel to begin a ground trip from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas. We will get to the Laredo Bay, from where we will begin the Magdalena Island Navigation by the waters of the Magellan Strait. Our first tourist attraction will be the Marta Island , place that has an important sea lions' colony, besides a series of sea birds that also inhabit the island. We will sail by the surroundings to take pictures and watch the sea Patagonian landscape.

After that, we will continue to the Magdalena Island , where we will disembark to get close to more than 150,000 Magellan penguins that inhabit the island from November to March. We will be able to walk by the marked track to the island's lighthouse, so then we go back to the boat and begin the return to our transportation, that will take us back to Puerto Natales.

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Worldwide Walkers

A Full Guide to Penguins in Punta Arenas: Isla Magdalena Tour

Only a few hours North of Punta Arenas in Chile, you’ll find a small green spot in the ocean named Isla Magdalena, which is an island that’s home to thousands of Magellanic penguins.

Doesn’t that sound like an amazing place?!

Visiting this penguin island in Punta Arenas is honestly still one of our best memories from Chile. There is just something about this cute bird that cannot fly.

So, in this blog post, we’ve decided to share EVERYTHING about this half day penguin tour that we did on Isla Magdalena in Punta Arenas.

We’re going to share some facts about the penguins, how to behave around the penguins, how to get to Isla Magdalena with ferry from Punta Arenas, and of course we’ll share our own experience from the island. That way, you’ll be 100% ready to do this trip yourself – if you ever make it to the end of the world.

Now, get ready to see some super sweet pictures of fluffy baby penguins!

AFFILIATE LINKS DISCLOSURE: Dear Reader, this blog post contains affiliate links. If you click on them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more here .

About the Isla Magdalena penguin tour in Punta Arenas

As promised, we’ll first share some facts about the penguins in Chile, and give you all the practical information about how to get to Isla Magdalena from Punta Arenas.

So, if you are planning to do a penguin tour , then this section of the article should be really helpful.

Facts about the Magellanic Penguin

There are actually 5 different species of penguins in Chile: Magellanic, King, Humboldt, Macaroni and Rockhopper penguins. On this specific day tour from Punta Arenas, you’ll see the Magellanic penguin.

So here are some facts about the Magellanic penguins that live near Punta Arenas in Chile:

• The Magellanic penguin is named after the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who discovered the bird in South America on his attempt to sail around the world.
• Its height is between 60-75 cm and its weight is between 3,5-6,5 kg. Not a very intimidating animal…
• The Magellanic penguins are monogamous, which means that they return to mate with the same partner every year. I just love this fact! How cute is that?
• The Magellanic penguin lives between 10-20 years in the wild.
• There are estimated to be 1,5 million breeding pairs left in the world, but the penguin population is slowly declining.
• The biggest thread to the Magellanic penguin is not its natural predators such as seals and killer wales, but actually human beings. Surprise, surprise! Oil spill in the ocean, getting caught in fishing nets, and climate change are the biggest threats to the declining penguin population.

If you want to know more about Magellanic penguins, then check out this National Geographic article: Facts about Magellanic Penguins

How to behave around the penguins

Penguins are wild animals.

It’s very important that you respect this fact on your trip to Isla Magdalena.

Isla Magdalena is a nesting place for the Magellanic penguins, which means that you’ll most likely see a bunch of cute fluffy baby penguins on your tour. However, don’t try to get close to them!

In fact, the Isla Magdalena National Park made a specific trail that you have to follow, and if you leave this trail, you might get banned from the tour. You’re also closely supervised by the national park crew during the entire walk.

Since penguins know that most of their dangers are in the ocean, they feel very safe on land. This means that they won’t be afraid of you. On the contrary, they might find you very interesting. If a penguin walks into the trail you’re following, then please don’t see it as an invitation to pet it! Instead, give it some space to safely cross the trail.

Also, you should in general never try to touch a wild animal. These are wild penguins, so please don’t try to pet them. If they feel threatened by you, they may (rightfully) bite you.

If you just remember to behave well around the penguins, then you’ll have the best day on this amazing penguin tour from Punta Arenas!

Where to get your tickets to Isla Magdalena

Back in 2020, when we visited Patagonia, we could only find one company in Punta Arenas in Chile, which would take us on a tour to Isla Magdalena to see the penguins.

However, after doing some more research online, I can now see that there are several tour companies that can take you to Isla Magdalena.

The way I see it, you can either get there by going directly to the company we used, or you can easy-peasy book your ticket on Viator .

The company we went with was called Comapa Turismo. They both had a morning tour and an afternoon tour to the penguin island. We joined the afternoon tour in February 2020. After booking our ticket, we had to go to the ticket office at the Tres Puentes Pier (about half an hour before our departure) and have the tickets printed. Everything went pretty smooth.

But even though everything went smooth for us, it sometimes happens that the companies have to cancel or move the tours because of the strong Patagonian winds… One thing we humans cannot control is the weather. Maybe it’s for the best that some things are out of our hands.

How to get the ferry to Isla Magdalena from Punta Arenas

If you book the tour on Viator , then you have to meet in an office in the center of Punta Arenas, but if you book the Comapa Tour like we did, then you have to figure out yourself how to get to the pier.

The ferry we took to Isla Magdalena left right next to Tres Puentes Pier in Punta Arenas. It took us 2 hours each way with the ferry, so even though we only spend 1 hour with the penguins, the tour itself took 5 hours.

Apparently you can also spot whales and dolphins from the ferry, but we had no luck that day. All we saw from the ferry was seagulls. Not the most exciting animal in Patagonia… If you want to see whales then you can also go on a Whale Tour from Punta Arenas

Why you should choose the Isla Magdalena penguin tour

Just so you know, this is NOT a sponsored post. We paid for this experience ourselves, and recommend this day trip just because we absolutely loved it. Nothing more, nothing less.

So why should you choose the Isla Magdalena penguin tour?

It’s a true wildlife experience where you’re the one who feel like the intruder in someone else’s home. You only had a small trail to follow, whereas the penguins are allowed to go anywhere they want – exactly how it should be!

What I loved most about this tour was how serious the national park crew was about the rules. That just means that they DON’T tolerate tourists trying to get close to the penguins. Overall, I found this tour was honoring the idea of ecotourism.

I think my only critique is that the tour went by waaay too fast, and you felt really pushed by the national park crew. However, it’s also a good thing that you only have that 1 hour with the penguins on Isla Magdalena. Because if there was a constant influx of tourists on the island, then we might mess with the ecosystem of the penguins.

If you want more time with the penguins, then you can book this penguin tour where you also visit Marta Island

One thing is for sure, if you go on a penguin tour in Punta Arenas, prepare yourself to fall in love with a bird that can’t fly. Loved it!

Our experience with the penguins in Punta Arenas

All right, if you want to see the Magellanic penguins in Punta Arenas, then by now you’re hopefully prepared to book this tour yourself.

So this section of the blog post is for those who want to set their expectations before the penguin tour, or maybe for those who are just looking for some armchair-traveling. Either way, here is our personal experience from walking with the penguins in Punta Arenas.

We never saw penguins in the wild before

Let’s start from the beginning.

I’m actually not (or I was not until now) obsessed with penguins. Seeing wild penguins has in fact never been on my bucket list. But in all fairness, I thought that they only lived in Antarctica…

Yup! That was the level of my penguin knowledge up until now.

I just never thought about all the possibilities of seeing them in the wild. Of course, I would love to see them in their natural habitat, and not behind the safety glass in a zoo… But was that even possible without going to Antarctica?

After doing some research, I now know that there are penguins all over the world! There are penguins in New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Antarctica (I was right about that one!) and a few other places.

Oh how I had missed out on some serious penguin-opportunities! So, when I learned that you can see penguins in Punta Arenas, on the Southern tip of Chile, I was ready to go.

Taking the ferry to Isla Magdalena

The ferry to Isla Magdalena wasn’t anything special. There were plenty of places to sit, and a little kiosk where you could buy a few snacks. More than good enough for me!

The weather was nice, and luckily the waves weren’t too big. But as always, I’d taken my precautions and swallowed a motion sickness pill before departure. It’s just not funny to be the one who gets sick on the ferry or in the bus or in whatever means of transportation I get sick in…

Not long after departure, a film about penguins started to play in the ferry. It was a little guide to the Magellanic penguins in Patagonia. Both Glenn and I encourage you to watch this little movie on your ferry trip.

From the movie, we quickly learned that apart from penguins, you can sometimes see whales in the area!

After that discovery, I spent the majority of the next two hours on the ferry standing outside in the cold wind trying to spot a whale. But yea, I only saw a bunch of seagulls…

If you’re going with the ferry to Magdalena Island from Punta Arenas, then make sure to have a look at the ocean once in a while. Who knows, you might spot a whale!

• Whale tour from Punta Arenas

Anyways, 2 hours later, and we were ready to disembark the ferry and see the penguins of Punta Arenas in Chile! Oh how exciting.

Walking with penguins in Chile!

Once we reached the island, we saw a lot of white spots from far away. It was all penguins!

My heart melted when I saw a sign that said, “Los Penguinos” as I thought it was the cutest word I’ve ever heard in Spanish.

The minute we got off the ferry from Punta Arenas, I saw my first penguin up close.

It was hilarious.

The penguin was waddling around with its arms spread out to the sides, curious about the people who had just gotten off the ferry. Everyone on the boat had stars in their eyes because of its cuteness!

As mentioned earlier, we could only find one company that offer this tour, and we really liked the way they handled the no-human-contact with the animals.

They taught us that the island was a breeding place for birds. Therefore we had to keep our distance and respect that they were living in their natural habitat.

We learned that there was only a one-way pathway you could walk on, and you had one hour to finish it before returning to the ferry.

I absolutely hated that we only had one hour on the island because Glenn and I both film, take pictures and try to enjoy our time all at once. The one hour wasn’t enough for us, and we felt like the staff was being very pushy… But yea, I guess they were just doing their job.

Other than that, this Punta Arenas penguin tour was absolutely AMAZING!

Sometimes we were only a few meters away from the penguins – they just didn’t care at all. We were literally the “outsiders” following this little walk, feeling like we were intruding on wildlife. It was the right experience. Nobody was trying to touch the penguins and if people got too close, they would rightfully get told off by the national park crew.

The island was full of small holes, which is where the penguins are nesting. Fluffy baby penguins were often sitting in the holes, waiting for their parents to bring back dinner. Some holes were completely empty as the penguin family had moved on.

Compared to the adult penguins, the baby ones looked super cute and chubby because of their thick feathers.

You would expect this experience to be so idyllic, but Magdalena island was actually very noisy.

We quickly learned that penguins have a really loud and ugly scream, and it made me laugh several times during the walk. Let me just put it like this, I thought there were cows on the island – at least that’s what they sound like.

Other creatures lurking on Isla Magdalena

During the walk, I was so focused on the penguins that I didn’t look around to spot the other animal that was nesting on the island.

Believe it or not, Isla Magdalena was full of baby seagulls!

Seagulls are NOT my favorite bird, I think it’s actually one of my least favorite birds… I mean who hasn’t been harassed by a seagull before?

I remember a day in Queenstown, New Zealand, when I was finally tasting the famous Ferg Burger. Glenn and I took our burgers to the park, a minute later seagulls surrounded us, and I had to run around scaring them away with one hand, while trying to eat my burger with the other hand. Wow, did I feel like a fool!

However, I don’t think these seagulls were used to harassing people. They live in the middle of the sea and eat fish. So they left me alone. Thank god!

If you’re a seagull enthusiast, then you would love Isla Magdalena in Chile!

The lighthouse viewpoint at Isla Magdalena

The minute you arrive at Isla Magdalena, you quickly learn that there is nothing but penguins and seagulls here. The only thing you can spot from afar is a lighthouse, which you happen to walk by on the trail.

Once you reach the lighthouse, you have the best viewpoint over Isla Magdalena. Plus, it kind of marks the halfway point of the walk.

From here, you also realize that the island is much bigger than the trail you are allowed to walk on. It makes me happy that this place is so well-preserved for the animals!

Make sure to take a few pictures by the lighthouse before you continue down the trail.

Goodbye to the penguins and returning to Punta Arenas

In what felt like 10 minutes, our one hour was up and we were back on the ferry… The walk went by so quickly that I was ready to repeat the trail immediately. Sadly, that wasn’t part of the plan.

The half day tour was over, so we left the penguins behind and took the ferry back to Punta Arenas.

All I’m left with now, is an amazing memory of the day I went for a walk with penguins on an island in the middle of the sea in the Chilean Patagonia. How awesome does that sound?!

I really did fall in love with the penguins when watching them up close. They were so funny waddling around and screaming like cows. Even though it was one of the quickest day tours, it was still one of the best wildlife hours of my life!

I can 100% recommend this day tour from Punta Arenas where you go walk with the penguins on Isla Magdalena in Chile. If you’ve never seen penguins in the wild before, and you find yourself in Patagonia, then go for it!

Other ways to see penguins in Punta Arenas, Chile

Apart from the Isla Magdalena tour where you see the Magellanic penguins, you can also do another penguin tour from Punta Arenas where you can see the King penguin.

• King Penguin Tour
• Isla Magdalena & Marta Tour

Today I WISH that we had done both tours, but we ended up choosing the Isla Magdalena tour because it was the cheaper option to see penguins in Punta Arenas, and at the time we simply didn’t have the money to do both tours.

But if you really want to see the majestic King Penguin, then you can easily do a tour from Punta Arenas in Chile. If you have done this tour, then please let me know how it went in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about watching the amazing Magellanic penguins on Isla Magdalena in Punta Arenas, Chile. Don’t hesitate to comment with any questions about the tour, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks for reading!

Is this your first time in the Chilean Patagonia?

Make sure to check out this blog post: Plan a trip to Patagonia

Hi, I'm Cecilie! And I'm the writer behind our travel blog. I only write about places that we've personally been to and want to recommend to you. I'm passionate about creating truthful travel guides, which can help you plan your own trip. When I'm not traveling or writing, you'll find me on a hiking trail, in a coffee shop, or in a shoe store around Copenhagen.

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30 Comments

Penguins are SO fascinating! What an amazing experience to see them in their natural habitat. I love the windswept, uncrowded area of Isla Magdalena.

I agree, it is a very fascinating bird! It was an amazing experience to be able to see them nest in their natural habitat. I can definitely recommend if you ever find yourself at the end of the world 🙂

Penguins are so cute! also your face in the first photo made me laugh! it’s the best.

Haha yea they are the best! Waddling from side to side, they are so cute and funny. I had to include that picture of me because my face says it all: PENGUINS!!! 😭 Thanks a lot!

I visited magdalena island in 2012!! was such a special experience

Oh really? That’s exciting, you know how great an experience it is then! (I assume) I hope you don’t see any changes to the island or the tour from 2012. From my experience in 2020, it seemed like the penguins were left alone to their natural habitat 😊

Omg these penguins are so adorable! I would love to see them myself some time (hopefully next year)!

I know! There are plenty of penguins in Patagonia both in Chile and Argentina, hope you get to see them! 😊

The penguins are so sweet! It looks like such a special experience.

Haha yea they sure are! It was a great day 🙂

Oh my god, those penguins are sooo cute! I just got a new place on my bucket list! Will use your post for reference for sure! Thanks for sharing!

Oh I’m so glad I inspired your bucket list! Thank you 🙂

Haha I love your comment about you and Glenn not being very good at group tours – my partner and I aren’t either! This looks like so much fun, I would love to see penguins in the wild. Thanks for sharing

It was a lot of fun, except for being part of a group and constantly falling behind haha! Hope you get to see them some day.

I laughed when you said you weren’t go at group tours. I can relate. Too much to see to go too fast.

Haha yes we were constantly falling behind, sometimes we even power walked to the front of the group but we still managed to end up in the back, again… Like you say, too much to see, too fast 🙂

Amazing! Really appreciate your work on the alternative solution to see those cutest animals in the world! Thanks for sharing too.

Thank you Menty, we have to look out for those cute flightless birds!

Oh wow! This looks amazing! I never would have thought to do this. Looks like I need to put this on my bucket list!

You sure should! It’s also very family friendly 🙂

I’ve been dying to go to Chile. I didn’t even know they had penguins there. Now i want to go even more haha

Haha me neither, I just knew I had to go once I found out they had penguins. Chile has so much to offer! I hope you get to go some day.

What a great experience! I’d love to see penguins in their natural habitat up close like this, plus the price seems very reasonable!

I know, it was such an experience! It was the cheapest way I could find to see penguins at the end of the world.

Oh my gosh, I would love this so very much! I can’t believe you were able to get so close to these little cuties! I would love to experience this.

I know! It was the best experience. So cute!

Oh my gosh my heart rate just bounced, THEY ARE SO CUTE. I love penguins so much too, not sure I would be able to contain myself if I was in your shoes haha. Lovely post!

I know! SO F-CUTE! 🙂 Thanks Tina!

I have always wanted to go to patagonia. Even since the 60s. I’ve gotten various answers but can you drive completely from the United States to Patagonia? I love the penguins but the bird I loved out of this video the most was the hooded grebe (sp?). Their body language just cracked me up! ❣️ So adorable.

Hi Patricia, I’ve followed Kombi Life on YouTube who drove the Pan-American Highway some years ago. It wasn’t all the way down to Patagonia, but it looks like you can do it from what I can find online. That would just be a crazy (but amazing!) adventure. And yes, the penguins are absolutely adorable ❤️ Would love to see more of them in the wild. Best, Cecilie

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Meet the Penguins from Puerto Natales

by Ricardo Valderrama | Aug 4, 2022 | En , Puerto Natales & Torres del Paine , Uncategorized | 0 comments

Nautical excursion that will take us to the  Los Pingüinos Natural Monument , protected wild area formed by Marta Island and Magdalena Island. We will disembark in  Magdalena Island , where we will stay about one hour. There, we will walk a track of 800 m long, until reaching an old lighthouse, from where we will enjoy a spectacular view of the Strait of Magellan. During the whole hike, we will have a close encounter with between 40,000 and 60,000 Magellanic penguins. Finally, we will board our vessel to return to the pier, reaching Punta Arenas by midday

7:00 am - 1:00 pm

From november to march.

We start the activity from our meeting point in Puerto Natales, to take a transport that will take us to Punta Arenas to start the navigation.

Then, we will board the vessel that will take us to the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, protected wild area formed by Marta Island and Magdalena Island. We will disembark in Magdalena Island, where we will be walking at leisure for about one hour in a track of 800 m long, until reaching an old lighthouse, from where we will enjoy a spectacular view of the Strait of Magellan. Both islands forms an interesting ecosystem, making a fascinating place to visit, whereas Marta Island lodges more than 600 Sea lions, Cormorants, Skuas, Austral seagull, Antartic pigeon and Sea elephants. The Magdalena Island allows us to interact (without touching them) with one of the largest colonies of Magellanic Penguins (between 40.000 – 60.000 birds and their chicks).

In order to protect wild life, Marta Island only allows us to circumnavigate the island to admire and photograph the Colony and the diversity of marine birds that live there.

During the navigation it is possible to sight Petrels, Skuas, Austral Dolphins and Commersoni’s dolphins.

Finally, we will return to the pier, reaching Punta Arenas by midday.

• Navigation through the strait to Isla Magdalena and Isla Marta
• Entrance to the natural monument Los Pingüinos
• Complimentary coffee or tea on board
• Thousands of penguins to observe

NOT INCLUDED

Transportation from your hotel to the meeting point. (available on demand)

Recommendations

• Wear warm and water resistantclothes
• Gloves, cap and walking shoes
• Bring your own water

Full Day Torres del Paine National Park

Private excursion to Torres del Paine National Park. Starting from your hotel in Puerto NatalesThis is a sightseeing tour to a biosphere reserve, close to the Patagonian Andes Mountain range and the Paine massif.

Horse riding in Laguna Sofia

You Will ride a horse in a patagonian style for about 3 hours. The track cross a magellanic forest and bushes in a smooth climb to Cerro Mocho

Perito Moreno Glacier

Located at 70km from the town of El Calafate in Argentina, this massive giant is one of the few glaciers that can be reached by automobile. More than 5km wide and up to 70m high in his front

Boat trip to Balmaceda y Serrano glaciers

Esta excursión marítima empieza y termina en Puerto Natales. La llevará a conocer a 2 glaciares: el Balmaceda y el Glaciar Serrano que están ubicados a 49km al noroeste de Puerto Natales, dentro del parque nacional Bernardo O´Higgins

Meet the Penguins from Punta Arenas

Nautical excursion that will take us to the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, protected wild area formed by Marta Island and Magdalena Island.

Hiking Helmer’s route

Hiking to Benítez hill following Helmer’s route. 7km through centennial Lengas forest from the Milodon cave to Laguna Sofia lookout.

Transportation

VALLEY OF THE FRENCH 

A hike along one of the most beautiful paths in Torres del Paine National Park. Set in an area of natural and outstanding beauty, the French Valley has incredible landscapes, dominated by granite giant formations, unique in the world.

ACTIVE PAINE

An amazing excursion for nature and photography lovers where the visitor will feel the power of a unique savage environment, dominated by breath-taking landscapes. 3 hikes are included.

Cruise Skorpios – Kaweskar Route

M/V Skorpios III sails from the Skorpios Terminal in Puerto Natales, a town located 2,500 km south of Santiago, which can be reached by air from Punta Arenas or by land from Argentina.

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Puerto Natales

• Tours & Activities

Excursion to Isla Magdalena Penguin Colony from Puerto Natales

• Round Trip Shared Transfer Puerto Natales / Punta Arenas Pier
• Bilingual local guide assistance (during navigation)
• Isla Magdalena Entrance Fee
• Meals and drinks
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Most travelers can participate
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

• Information & Tips

A Short Flight Towards the King Penguins

King penguins of tierra del fuego, chile, a short flight towards the king penguins of tierra del fuego, tierra del fuego king penguin tours | encounters with the lords of patagonia.

Tierra del Fuego King Penguin tours. Join us on this unique itinerary to discover the magnificent and awe-inspiring King Penguins of Tierra del Fuego. This tour is suitable for nature enthusiasts as well wildlife photographers of all levels of skills.

Among wildlife, few groups call our attention as much as birds, and among birds, few families are as attractive and command such interest as penguins.  The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin  after the Emperor, and certainly  one of the most colourful and attractive  members of the group.  Not many places in the world offer good access and chances to see them in the wild, making this,  the only continental American breeding colony , a very special one indeed. By joining our penguin photo journey, you will be able to see these magnificent seabirds in their natural habitat and learn about their natural history from our specialized guide. The journey starts at Punta Arenas, the capital of the Magallanes province, one of the southernmost cities in the world and  gateway to the mythical Tierra del Fuego Island . From here we take a  15-minute flight across the Straits of Magellan  to Porvenir and then drive along the beautiful coast of Tierra del Fuego to Bahía Inútil (Useless Bay) and the mouth of Marazzi River, where the colony is located.

Up to date, the colony is over a hundred strong and expected to keep growing . The King Penguin colony on Useless Bay, Tierra del Fuego, seems to be doing well so far into the autumn, with more than fifteen wooly brown healthy chicks that in many cases have already reached the stature of their parents, and seem to be well-grown. The non-breeding penguins have gathered in a nearby group some 20 meters further inland.

Our trips have a  maximum of 5-6 participants  and we follow a  strict protocol regarding proximity and potential disturbance , essential to keep the impact on the small colony that we visit to a minimum.

Interested to learn more of about of King penguin colony of Tierra del Fuego? Read our blog post .

Read the full program details. Click here . Tierra del Fuego King Penguin tours

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• Puerto Natales & Torres del Paine
• Punta Arenas
• Puerto Williams
• El Calafate
• Private Transfers

Tierra del Fuego King Penguin Tour from Punta Arenas

Proceed booking, already a member, don't have an account create one., or continue as guest, adding item to wishlist requires an account, day trip king penguin park - tierra del fuego.

Live the adventure on a spectacular day trip to Tierra del Fuego, meet the King Penguin, the second largest penguin in the world in its natural habitat, amaze with the immensity of the Patagonian Pampas and sail through the mythical Strait of Magellan, all this on the King Penguin Park tour

• If you want this tour from Puerto Natales, click here

Departure and Return Location

Pickup and drop off at your accommodation (urban area) in Punta Arenas

Departure Time

07am to 07:40am

Price includes

• Tickets Ferry Strait of Magellan (round trip)
• Seat insurance

Price Excludes

• Tickets King Penguin Park (CLP$15.000.-/ USD$13 app) only with debit or credit card, children under 10 years do not pay

We Recommend

• Warm clothing
• comfortable shoes

What period of the year does this tour take place?

It takes place from October to May of each year, from Tuesday to Sunday

In what transport do we cross the Strait of Magellan?

There are 2 ways to cross the Strait of Magellan, the first is through the crossing through Tres Puentes located at the northern entrance to Punta Arenas (the crossing takes approximately 2 hours in a ferry) and the second is through the crossing through Punta Delgada (the crossing lasts approximately 30 minutes), located 170 km north of Punta Arenas. Depending on the above, it is possible that Porvenir will not be visited and the duration of the tour could be extended to around three hours. Regardless of the route, the tour rate always remains the same.

How do you pay for admission to the King Penguin Park?

You must pay only with a credit or debit card in the king penguin park itself at the time of entry. The entry costs are as follows:

• General public: CLP$15,000
• Adults over 60 years of age: CLP$10,000
• Residents of Chilean Tierra del Fuego: CLP$5,000
• Children up to 10 years old and people with disabilities: Free entry

Are there places to eat during the tour?

Depending on where the crossing is made, we can make a stop in Cerro Sombrero or Porvenir for lunch, generally the costs vary between CLP$7000 and CLP$15,000, and there are also meals of the day, which include a starter, lunch, dessert and a drink. It is also recommended to bring food from Punta Arenas, since the route is long and there are no places to buy.

Can I cancel or reschedule my reservation once I have made the payment?

Yes, you can cancel or reschedule your reservation if you notify us 48 hours before the start of the tour, in this case we will refund 100% of the cost you paid when making the reservation or we will reschedule without penalty.

Itinerary King penguin park from Punta Arenas

We start at 07:00 picking up tourists in their respective lodgings, heading to the sector of Tres Puentes and boarding the Ferry at 08:30 am. The navigation lasts 2 hours arriving at 10:30 am to the Island of Tierra del Fuego. Arriving in the city of Porvenir we will visit and visit the Provincial Museum Fernando Cordero Rusque. Around 13:30 hrs we leave the city of Porvenir and we go to the Penguin King Park, located 120 km south of Porvenir, sector of Bay Useless, at the mouth of the river Marazzi is this colony of penguins.

The King penguin is a migratory bird that is mobilized from its reproduction sites in some sub-Antarctic islands in search of food. On the shores of Tierra del Fuego, we know that it has been a frequent visitor since the time when the Selknam lived because they have found bone remains of king penguin in their archaeological sites.

Here you can sighting this beautiful bird and enjoy the surroundings. After 17:00 hrs will begin the return taking a different route passing through the commune of Cerro Sombrero and from there arrive to Bahía Azul where the crossing will take place (20 minutes aprox) and then we will travel 180 km to reach Punta Arenas at 9:30pm approximately.

Full day Tierra del Fuego is made daily in high season and in low season you should consult us (mainly on weekends)

Note: The itinerary may be modified according to the availability of the ferry and the visiting time assigned by the King Penguin Park itself.

Important: Tour end time is approximate and subject to change. It is recommended not to book the tour if you have a flight scheduled from Punta Arenas that same day or before noon the next day.

Related Tours

Shared Transfer Navigation Lake Grey

Tierra del Fuego King Penguin Park from Puerto Natales

King Penguin Park was an unforgettable experience. Seeing these majestic creatures up close was breathtaking. The park is well-maintained and the staff are knowledgeable and passionate. I highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting the area.

Francis Diamond

Our tour guide, was very good! We appreciate his job!

Matt Dobson

What else can you say besides it is a unique experience to view king penguins. The facilities are simple but functional. I just wish it had been a little less windy. Wind was so strong it was difficult to take good photos.

Victor Thompson

Great tour,, absolutely recommended

Catherine Hartley

What a fabulous experience. A great driver and our guide, Diego, was awesome! The penguins were amazing and a beautiful sight. Thanks to Diego for showing us how to take fantastic camera shots and thanks too to the wonderful guides at the penguin park who spend six weeks there at a time! Great day -Diego was very knowledgeable and kept us informed and entertained the whole time. Loved the extras – Shame there weren’t more food / restaurant / takeaway options for lunch and it was planned for so early in the trip. Overall though a memorable day spent with some great people.