Home > Punta Arenas > Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas
USD $170.00
Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas, Chile
Experience your own ‘March of the Penguins’ on Magdalena Island during a morning tour by boat from Punta Arenas. After cruising across the Strait of Magellan, land on this protected nature reserve and marvel at the thousands of Magellanic penguins milling about on the pebbly terrain that serves as their breeding grounds. Follow your guide along a cordoned-off path leading up to a lighthouse, where you'll learn about the island’s ecosystem. Weather permitting, cruise by Isla Marta to observe sea lions and elephant seals.
Dress warmly and get ready to join this tour which will start at a meeting point in Punta Arenas and then travel with the rest of the group to the pier.
Climb aboard a large powerboat and head north for about 40 minutes on the Strait of Magellan. If you’re lucky, you may glimpse panda dolphins leaping out of the choppy grey waters.
Arrive at the small and rocky Magdalena Island, also called Los Pinguinos Natural Monument, a protected nature reserve and park since 1982, and a breeding site for Magellanic penguins. Even before the boat docks, you’ll see thousands of penguins crowding the shores and hear their squawking. During the summer, approximately 120,000 penguins occupy the island.
Disembark and spend about an hour here with your guide, keeping to the designated trail roped off for visitors. These curious birds, about 2 feet (61 cm) tall, will cross your path and may approach you, but you'll be instructed not to touch or feed them.
On either side of the trail, see hundreds of burrows in the ground, about a foot (30 cm) in diameter, each populated by a pair of penguins. Watch penguins pop in and out of the holes, where eggs are laid, and others excavate new burrows by flinging aside heaps of dirt with their webbed feet. Your guide may point out cormorants and Andean seagulls on the island as well.
Reach the highest point on the island and enter a lighthouse, which houses exhibits explaining the penguins’ habitat and breeding cycles, the history of the strait and the rich ecosystems of nearby islands.
Then warm up with coffee and snack on biscuits (provided) before leaving the island. On your way back, if the weather permits, your captain may pass by Isla Marta, where you can snap shots of sea lions and elephant seals lounging on the rocky outcrop.
After a marvelous morning with penguins, your tour will end in Punta Arenas at the main square Plaza Muñoz Gamero.
Great experience, tour guides were professional and friendly, on time, would recommend to anyone.
Review by: cathy.moore1, January 2018
Really well organised tour. Crew were great. The penguins were amazing - able to be really close. Would have liked a bit more info on the penguins- do they stay as couples throughout season? How many eggs laid etc. Had a hot drink back on board which was very welcome but was unannounced so did not know reason why there was queue to get back on.
Review by: Lawson C, January 2018
This is a must do, bucket list type of experience if you are in the area. The trip on the boat to and from the island was exciting and the penguins were very fascinating. The tour company was excellent and they took very good care of us in a rather taxing weather area. We highly recommend.
Review by: Sy L, December 2017
Great experience and well organized
Review by: Lawrence H, March 2017
Tour was great. Highly recommend. I would not book through Viator, it's much lower at any of tour places there. Much lower for the same tour.
Review by: Susan M, February 2017
Came to Punta Arenas to do this and was not disappointed. Bus ride to boat takes about 45 minutes or so. Then boat ride to the island._br/_ Spend about an hour walking around the small island to the top and back to boat among these adorable creatures!!!!!!!!_br/_ There are so many of them and they run right in front of you!!! The baby chicks were too darn cute. Seeing the penguins in their own environment-digging, kissing, nurturing, scawking, sleeping, running, swimming---you will take a zillion pictures!_br/_ Hot chocolate and/coffee provided once back on boat!_br/_ Do it!
Review by: Joseph M, February 2017
Found the tour organisation a little chaotic in terms of knowing which busses to board, where we were going and how to get back. Departure peer is about 30 mins drive from Punta Arenas, crossing conditions can vary from everyone sitting on the boat's roof to everyone being confined indoors, and temperatures can be down to zero. Visit to the penguin island didn't feel long enough, even though walking the loop of the island and light house need only take 15 minutes, we could have done with more than an hour, especially towards the end when the penguins started getting friendly and coming to meet us. The boat then sales slowly around a fur seal island but doesn't stop there before returning to the peer. This activity starts early but is finished by midday, it is however the best thing you're likely to do in Punta Arenas, though it might lead to sea sickness as there's more than an hour of sailing and it can get choppy.
Review by: Andreas W, January 2017
Very nice trip, only place where you get so close to the penguins. Crew was nice, coffee and cookies were offered. We also were taken to Isla Martha to see the sea lions.
Review by: Evangelia S, January 2017
The tour was very good. We had chosen the hotel pick up, the driver was on time and we were comfortably transferred to the agency. After checking in, they transferred us to the pier and the trip started. It lasts for roughly 3hours, we visited the Magdalena island penguins colony and due to the good weather conditions we travelled to the Martha island and saw some sea lions, more penguins and seals. The tour guide was very well informed and answered all our questions. Pretty good information about the penguins year round life and habitat. Very much satisfied!
Review by: David N, January 2017
Overall this was a great trip. Would only be better if there was more time on the island. We had an hour.
Review by: Oliver O, January 2017
Ok this is a bit unfair. We were hugely disappointed to learn on the morning of the trip that it was being cancelled because of wind. And they weren't lieing, the wind was incredible. The guide we had gave us an option - money back or visit condors. He was excellent, managing the obvious disappointment in the group. Personally I thought the condors were great though I would still rather have seen the penguins. The question then is, if the same happens to you, is t worth seeing the condors - well I suppose it depends how much you paid for the tour....
Review by: Melinda C, December 2016
The tour itself was great. It seemed a little touristy but once you got to the island you could see why its so popular. The reason it didnt get 4 stars is because the trip was supposed to include a shuttle back to our hotel and once we got back from the island there was no shuttle. They just left us to find a ride back. Luckily our hotel was only about 15 minutes walk but if it was included it should have been delivered.
Review by: Charlotte W, April 2016
booking through the internet was a breeze with instant confirmation_br/_ local pickup was right on time_br/_ group size was just right_br/_ enthusiastic cruise staff and guide
Review by: Matthew D, March 2016
Penguins were great to see. Worth it.
Review by: Günther S, March 2016
very interesting, the guides were very well prepared. The ship was more than ok
Review by: Carolyn F E, January 2016
Seeing the penguins was FABULOUS. You really do get up close and there are THOUSANDS of them. I highly recommend this trip, even if you don't do well on boats. I get sea sick really easy...and I know it, but I wanted to see these penguins. I got sea sick AND saw these beautiful creatures. Well worth it!
Review by: Murali B, January 2016
Experience of a life time. Very well organized tour.
Review by: Chaoying Z, December 2015
There is no hotel pick-up at all. The company is terrible. They got everything wrong. _br/_ The tour is great. We have never seen so many pigeons in our whole life. The guide is professional and very funny.
Review by: Torsten E, November 2015
The tour itself was very nice and well organiced. _br/_ BUT: The price was off the chart. We paid more then double. And its not too overcrowded and therefore Im very dissapointed about that. Ive the feeling you got punished by booking in advance. Thats why I cant really recommand it... sorry!
Review by: Yimin C, April 2015
Good.
Review by: David L, March 2015
Fun day! Coffee and cookies a nice, unexpected treat.
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