9 Punta Arenas Birdwatching Tours Worth Booking

1.Walk with Penguins on Magdalena & Marta Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 611 reviews · 5 hours · from $150Our pick

From Punta Arenas, ride to Laredo Bay and cross the Strait of Magellan to Magdalena Island. Spend an hour walking near wild Magellanic penguins, then cruise to Marta Island for sea lions and seabirds when conditions allow. English and Spanish guides, coffee, and entrance fees are included.

“The boat ride was good, just a little crowded. Maybe have a few less people on the boat, six to one seat area the way they were set up was a bit . awkward. I loved the guide, Raphael! He was informative and took the time to explain everything and came to each group of seats to talk and ask if we had questions. The other crew members were good too! Loved seeing the penguins!”

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2.Full-Day Whales, Penguins, and Glaciers Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 325 reviews · 14 hours · from $365Top rated

Start near central Punta Arenas, ride south to board a comfortable vessel, then spend the day around Cape Froward and Francisco Coloane Marine Park. You may see humpback whales, Magellanic penguins, sea lions, dolphins, seabirds, waterfalls, and glaciers. English and Spanish guides, meals, snacks, and hot drinks are included.

“Was amazing. We saw whales and a lots of animals. Professional guide. Everything was perfect.”

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3.Full Day Tierra del Fuego & King Penguins

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 179 reviews · 15 hours · from $110Best value

Travel from Punta Arenas by ferry and minibus to Tierra del Fuego, where you’ll visit the King Penguin Natural Reserve, Porvenir, Cerro Sombrero, and Estancia San Gregorio. Guides such as Christian, Alvaro, and Katherine share stories in English and Spanish. Expect wildlife, wind, and many hours on the road.

“The ferry crossing of the Straits was enjoyable although weather caused delays and very bumpy. Restaurant was poor, no menu or displayed pricing, and was expensive for the plain food that it was, Penguins was way overpriced for only an hour there of which 16 mins occupied walking there and back. Not a lot to see other than them, and the desolation of pampas. Guide Alvaro excellent and Christian drove well”

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4.Walk alongside Penguins on Magdalene Island and navigate Marta Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 116 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $140

Start early in Punta Arenas for a boat trip to Isla Magdalena, where you spend an hour walking near Magellanic penguins. Continue around Marta Island for sea lions, cormorants, and other birds. Guides such as Sebastian and Rafael add useful commentary in English and Spanish.

“It was fun to do. Boat trip brought us close to the cormorans and the sea lions. Coffee aboard was very welcome to warm our hands. Small trail walk on the other island was interesting too. Good guide (forgot his name)”

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5.Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 107 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $160

Leave Punta Arenas at 6:30 am for a boat ride across the Strait of Magellan to Magdalena Island. Walk a marked trail among Magellanic penguins, visit the lighthouse, and look for sea lions near Isla Marta. Guides such as Rodrigo and Sebastian add useful wildlife detail.

“While the ticking off of individuals, most had paid but some had reservations only then had to negotiate currency and form of payment, by one person with a pen and multipage list inside the office before boarding 3 busses took way longer than expected, the trip was totally worth it! The guide was excellent: extremely knowledgeable and did not just rattle off some memorized script but instead tailored descriptions to what was available and questions of passengers, in both English and Spanish. The boat crew was considerate, helpful and good humored. The island is fascinating and the nesting penguins and gulls did not disappoint- the penguin parents and their young…”

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6.Magdalena Island Navigation & Penguin Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 73 reviews · 5 hours · from $209

You’ll take a guided boat ride from Punta Arenas to Magdalena Island, then spend about an hour walking beside Magellanic penguins in Los Pingüinos Natural Monument. English and Spanish commentary covers the island’s wildlife, while dolphins, whales, cormorants, gulls, and albatrosses may appear offshore.

“The island and the penguins were great but the trip was terrible. First off since it was advertised as shore excursion we assumed that we would have transportation. Nope After having their information translated by a taxi man we found out that we needed to take a taxi to the car ferry port We did get there on time but no one was there to help us. Someone else told us what to do. The car ferry cost $50 the taxi costs $10 and we paid $230 for what????? Don't waste your money.”

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7.King Penguin Nature Reserve – Tierra del Fuego Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 73 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $148

Leave Punta Arenas at 5 a.m. for Tierra del Fuego, crossing the Magellan Strait by ferry and reaching King Penguin Nature Reserve. Expect about 14 hours, a bilingual guide, a small group, windy viewing conditions, and a 15-meter viewpoint. Lunch and the CLP 17,000 reserve fee are extra.

“Gabriel and Andres did the best job to make a very long drive to the king penguin park enjoyable. Yes it is a 13 hour day of traveling mostly in a van other than the 30-45 minute ferry ride to get to the park. Know this going in and it is still worth seeing the penguins. Cold and windy there - bring sunscreen and warm clothes. Gabriel shared other information in both Spanish and English that we would otherwise have not known if we did the trip ourselves. Ancient and current history of the island, information on the geology of the area, how Patagonia got its name, the animals, and…”

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8.King Penguin Park and Tierra del Fuego Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 67 reviews · 14 hours · from $180

You’ll cross the Magellan Strait, visit Porvenir, and spend 1 to 1.5 hours watching king penguins at a protected shore colony. Guides such as Atma and Hernandez explain the remote setting, while stops at Cerro Sombrero and San Gregorio Estancia add local history to this long, scenic day.

“Honestly, the reviews of this trip do not do it justice. Of course this is a long day, penguins live in the wilderness, and therefore it takes time to get to their natural habit - it's a privilege to visit and there is a reason why we're seeing them here and not in a zoo! Atma and Hernandez were amazing with communicating the realities of the landscape and wind on Tierra del Fuego and how that might impact the timings of our trip, however everything went very smoothly. The ferry on the way there is two hours but it's comfortable and you can buy snacks and coffee, and the mini-bus…”

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9.Magdalena Island Penguin Tour by Boat from Punta Arenas

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 62 reviews · 5 hours · from $160

Travel by bus and catamaran from central Punta Arenas to Magdalena Island, home to thousands of summer-breeding Magellanic penguins. You get about one hour ashore for the penguin trail, lighthouse, and interpretation center, with Spanish and English guiding, coffee, and tea included.

“Seeing the wildlife was definitely the highlight! I felt the ticket venue and the checking in process could be improved. The tiny area where people were waiting in to check in, was sooo crowded and overflowing that when it was announced that people could begin the check in process, it was chaotic. I’m sure the overflow of people outside didn’t even realize the check in had started. The wait time for loading was long and there was no communication about where we were being taken once we were underway. Despite these shortcomings, the excursion was well worth doing! We thoroughly enjoyed watching the penguins!!”

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