Magdalena Island: Magellan Penguins & Sea Lions from Punta Arenas

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/9

Duration5h

GroupUp to 60

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

120,000 Penguins Wait on Magdalena Island—a Four-Hour Boat Trip from Your Ship

You're transferred to the boat, sail across the Magellan Strait, pass Marta Island's sea lion colony, then spend an hour walking among thousands of Magellan penguins on Magdalena Island. The return crossing takes another 45 minutes. Plan for a 4-hour outing that finishes by 3 PM, and bring your passport—it's required at booking for all passengers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Magellan Strait and Penguin Reserve

Pick up at meeting point
Navigate 45 minutes to Magdalena Island
Spend one hour with penguins
Circumnavigate Marta Island without disembarking
Navigate 45 minutes back to Punta Arenas

The Experience

The harbormaster at the office near the pier doesn't speak much English, but he points you toward the boat with a grin when you mention penguins. That's how you know you're in the right place. The Magellan Strait crossing from Punta Arenas takes about 45 minutes each way, and the boat moves steadily through cold, grey water that feels genuinely remote—not the kind of scenery you see from a cruise ship deck. On the way out, you'll pass Marta Island without landing, but the sea lions are visible from the water, and your crew will point them out.

Once you reach Magdalena Island, you get one hour on the Natural Monument Los Pinguinos, which is where the real thing happens. More than 120,000 Magellan penguins live here, and they're not performing—they're just moving between burrows, calling to each other, waddling across the rocky ground in that way that makes you forget to take photos because you're too busy watching. The island is a protected reserve, so there are boundaries you stay within, but you're close enough to see the birds clearly without binoculars. The wind picks up, the penguins don't care, and you realize why people book this even though it means leaving the ship for most of the afternoon.

The whole excursion runs about four hours door-to-door, including the transfer from the tour office to the boat departure point and back. If your ship leaves at 3 PM or earlier, this won't work—the tour finishes around 3 PM, so you'd be cutting it too close. Weather matters here; if the Strait is rough or visibility drops, the tour can be canceled even an hour before departure, and you'll get a full refund. It's Patagonia, so bring a windproof jacket and expect the temperature to feel colder than the thermometer says.

What’s included

Transfer from the tour office to the boat departure point and return.
Boat passage across the Magellan Strait to and from Magdalena Island.
One hour on Magdalena Island within the Natural Monument Los Pinguinos.
Viewing of Marta Island and its sea lion colony from the water.
All navigation and boat operation.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Top Private Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if your ship is in port until at least 3:30 PM and you want to see a massive penguin colony without arranging your own transport—the fixed schedule and included transfers mean you show up at the office and the boat handles the rest.