Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas
Overview
Available languages
5 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
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.
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
It is recommended that you wear comfortable, warm clothes and trekking shoes or boots
Please bring a jacket or sweater, a scarf, hat, sunglasses and water
Important: Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants
Seasonal product operating October to March
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: On peak season (Christmas, Holidays, Cruise dates, November to March) the departure time of your tour is at 06:30 am, In case that we don't have more availability, we will be letting you know if we have to reschedule your departure time due availability.
In case that you are a cruise passenger, once you booked the tour, please contact us to confirm departure availability at 10:00 am.
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel at least 2 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
What To Expect
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. Remember that you have to be at 06:30am at the meeting point located in José Nogueira #1255, Punta Arenas. 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.
Isla Magdalena
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.
What‘s Included
Professional guide
Snacks
Transfer from the meeting point to the pier
Boat tour
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Gratuities
Food and drinks, unless specified
Airport pickup and drop-off
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Options
Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas
Reviews
95 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great experience but zero guidance
Angela N,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00The walk to the office brings you to an expeditions office. No announcements were made, no check in procedure. We followed each other to get on a coach, no one knew what was happening the coach went at snails pace, no guide or explanation. When we reached the boat we sat in the coach for a further 20 mins. No one to tell us anything. However once on the boat Rodrigo was very good full of knowledge and led us to the penguin trail. We also sat on top of the boat roof to take pics of sealions. A wonderful trip but what the agency did regarding information was zero.
Unforgettable and safe tour to see penguins
Sarah A,,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This company provided a safe and informative tour of the island to see the penguins! The guide was very knowledgeable about the sea life on the boat ride as well as the penguins and their behavior. We saw male penguins do their mating calls and others gathering grass and bringing it to their burrows. The lighthouse on the island had a small museum in it and you could get your passport stamped with a penguin icon! On the boat ride, we saw dolphins saw a whale breathe at the surface, and saw lots of sea loins near another island. We did get hot cocoa and packaged cookies on the way back from seeing the penguins.
Penguin tour
John P,,Oct 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Prepare for a cold/wet weather. And most of all do not forget your sunglasses. you are going to love this tour. Seeing penguins up close is absolutely amazing.
Penguins!!
Saul G,,Mar 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing experience staff was great, I would recommend this guide group, it’s intimate yet very social the guides are amazing and very fun and personable people.
Amazing penguin viewing....
Stacie D,,Mar 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing penguin viewing. Great trip out to the island. Had to skip the second island and cut things short for weather, but so glad we went anyway. Memorable trip! Get the hot chocolate and drink it BEFORE the boat starts moving again!
Lots of Penguins, Long Boat Ride, Dress Warm
PrudenvilleDavid,,Mar 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a 6:30 AM shore excursion with Holland America from Punta Arenas. The Catamaran ride was 2+ hours each way in moderate sea conditions. There was lots of sea motion, but nobody suffered motion sickness. This is a very popular tour and the boat was very crowded. There are two restrooms onboard for 250 passengers.sated on two levels. There is not much to see on the way to the island so pick a seat in the middle of the boat on the lower deck if you are sea motion sensitive. A snack bar is available and an adequate box lunch is provided for the return trip. There are lots of Magellanic penguins on the island, but the chicks had all departed by late February when I did this tour. We had about an hour on the island and that was quite enough. Dress warm in layers, wear gloves and head protections. The winds are quite strong most of the time and this tour is frequently cancelled due to weather. The temperature was in the upper 40's Fahrenheit, but if felt much colder due to the wind.
We had an amazing experience seeing the beautiful penguins and birds of Magdalena!
Deborah N,,Mar 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We lucked out with good weather on our tour, a gentle sea and beautiful sunrise on the way to the two islands. On Magdalena the penguins were everywhere, around their burrows, at watch, grooming or resting. They are enchanting to see, and we had plenty of time to enjoy them. Sebastian, our guide on the Tierra del Fuego, has a deep knowledge of the many birds and animals of Magdalena, to give us insight into what we were seeing. On the return trip he pointed out a surfacing sei whale, which was exciting! The crew was very friendly and helpful as we entered and exited the boat, and altogether the experience was a highlight of our visit to the amazing country of Chile.
Waters can be extremely...
Cedric B,,Feb 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Waters can be extremely rough, expect lots of wind. Path on island is rocky, uneven and steep. Not for people with wheel chairs or walkers. Rodrigo, our guide, was very friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and his English was very good
Excellent morning tour to see a ton of penguins!
aej822,,Feb 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This morning trip was an excellent addition to our Punta Arenas stay. We met at the Solo Expeditions house (seemed part of a hotel?) a few blocks from the main square in Punta Arenas. This was at 6:15am. A bus took us to the ferry to get to Magdalena Island. We got an hour to spend on Magdalena Island to walk the roped off path for the tourist. You do need to stay five meters away from the penguins. It was absolutely awesome! They were all doing their penguin business - best building, lounging, fighting, howling - and weren’t at all concerned we were there. After the island the ferry goes by another island to look at the seals there. You can’t get off but there are a ton of seals and birds. The boat was super rocky there so be prepared for that. We were back around 10:45am. Great little add-on to our Punta Arenas trip!
Picturesque, organized, not as many penguins as expected
445vanessaa,,Jan 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00It was a nice little trip although I expected to see more penguins. The boat ride was super warm and had hot drinks available to drink. When we disembarked my husband and I tried to stay at the back of the crowd and walk really slow to hopefully maximize our time on the Island and be less intimidating to the penguins away from the crowd. This worked somewhat. Once you make the loop you can't start over and are herded back onto the boat so you may as well make the most of it. There were more cormorants than penguins, however we were there at a time that the penguins were still sitting on their eggs. I had binoculars and was able to see a huge group of penguins on a far off beach on the island so we're definitely just seeing a small sample of the cute little guys.
From US$160.00
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Operated by Gray Line Chile