Punta Arenas

Top Punta Arenas activities

Top Punta Arenas landmarks

Punta Arenas trip ideas

Shore Excursion: Magellan Penguins Natural Reserve in Magdalena Island from Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas, Chile

5 hours
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Punta Arenas, Patagonia

Full Day Torres del Paine

from $135.00

Punta Arenas, Patagonia

Private Torres del Paine & Milodon, departing from Punta Arenas

from $555.56

Price varies by group size

Punta Arenas, Patagonia

Private Patagonian Forest Hike in Punta Arenas: 6 Hour

from $325.00

Price varies by group size

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Get in touch with Chile’s ‘wild side’ during this 4-hour shore excursion to the penguin reserves found on Marta and Magdalena Islands. Marvel at more than 150,000 penguins, along with thousands of Cormorants, Austral seagulls, Antarctic pigeons, dolphins and more during the visit to these two wildlife habitats. A port pickup upgrade option is also available.

Discover the wildlife of Magdalena and Marta Islands during a shore excursion
Marvel at the wide variety of sea birds that call Marta Island home
Scout for dolphins, sea lions, and other aquatic creatures
Perfect excursion for nature and wildlife lovers

What's Included

Transfer from our office to boat depart point.
One hour with the Penguins in Magdalena Island.
Marta island (without disembark) where you can see sea lions.

Gratuities
Transfer to our office (only 5 minutes walking from PRAT cruise port).

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

José Nogueira 1255, Punta Arenas, Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena
José Nogueira 1255, 6201110 Punta Arenas, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
We will be waiting for you at our office at Jose Nogueira 1255 (only 5 minutes walking from PRAT cruise port). Drop at cruise port.

Pickup point

José Nogueira 1255, Punta Arenas, Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena
José Nogueira 1255, 6201110 Punta Arenas, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile

End points

This activity ends in a different location. See details below:

Type to search

Pickup details

Meeting point: We will be waiting for you at our office at Jose Nogueira 1255 (only 5 minutes walking from PRAT cruise port). Drop at cruise port.

What To Expect

Make your way to the trip operator’s office in the morning to start your excursion. Those who select the optional port pickup transfer will receive a pickup directly from their ship. You’ll then board a ship as you sail through the Magellan Strait, heading to these two islands to explore their unique collection of wildlife.

Start by circumnavigating the perimeter of Marta Island by boat. As you cruise you’ll get a chance to observe the island’s wide variety of seabirds like Skuas, Austral seagulls, and Cormorants, as well as its resident sea lions and “sea elephants.” Make sure to also keep your eyes peeled during the boat ride for local Austral dolphins. You’ll the head to Magdalena Island, where you’ll be able to disembark from the ship for one hour to visit its collection of more than 150,000 penguins.

At the end of the trip, return back to tour operator’s office in Punta Arenas. Those who did not select the port transfer will end the trip here, while those who picked the transfer option will be returned to their cruise ship.

Punta Arenas

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Isla Marta

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Isla Magdalena

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Punta Arenas

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for ALL participants.
Subject to favorable weather conditions, if canceled due to poor weather, you will be given a full refund.
Not wheelchair accessible
This trip can be canceled due to few passengers or poor weather by Punta Arenas Administration even one hour before starting.

Near public transportation
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 60 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 3 full days before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 3 full days before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 3 full days before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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 experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

3.5

79 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 79 reviews

Breathtaking Views and Penguins

Marianne_R, Mar 2024

Rafael the tour guide was excellent. The waters were rough and the winds do we did not get to travel to Marta Island to see the Sea Lions due to the boat being too small to handle the waves. I would have given the trip 5 stars had the boat been a little larger. However the experience on this boat was memorable. The Natural Preserve and the lighthouse was awesome - penguins were quite active and the local birds. Again Rafael was a great guide.

Penguins galore

Bill_M, Mar 2024

Excellent customer service, and they made a guarantee that we would not miss our cruise ship departure. They stressed several times, but they were on a good schedule and we would be back on time. The island they took us to was filled with penguins and wildlife. Chris Director, whatever was extremely entertaining and knowledgeable. We then departed the penguin Island and viewed several hundred sea lions and seals lounging on the beach. PS they don’t smell very good. We were back at a timely fashion. Driven on a very comfortable coach. The cost was extremely less than what the cruise ship offered for the same excursion. I recommend using Viator.

Be prepared

robin_L, Mar 2024

Over 20 of us were herded into a very small enclosed boat to go across to penquin island. The seas wwere very rough and the boat had seen better days. Although there were plenty of penguins on the island it was extremley windy and the tour was cut short and we were brought back to port. You could not even look out the windows because the waves were so high!

Would not recommend.

Pamela_W, Mar 2024

The penguins were great. And Rafael, the tour guide, was very good. However the boat was not suffucient for the nimber of people or the conditions. The rest of the tour not so good

Be honest about the rubber boat being used

Stella_D, Mar 2024

Unfortunately the rubber boat used for this excursion was under par and not what we expected to navigate the rough waters to the island. Most of us were quite frightened. The hatch blew open and drenched 1 guest and another was locked in the bathroom.

Magdalena island excursion

rgepp, Mar 2024

The trip with bus and boat took about 1:20. The boat was too small for rough water and uncomfortable. Much nicer boats were at island. The boat is not up to viator standards. Boat crew nice, but had some difficulty with English. Trip not worth $175 per person.

Loving them penguins!

James_S, Feb 2024

This was the number one item on my bucket list, and could not have been more enjoyable! Linda, the tour guide was great and she drove that Land Rover like a queen. We saw thousands of penguins and had them walking right amongst us. We did two other penguin tours on this cruise, and nothing compares to this one!

Sadly disappointing long tiring day

MaryElizabeth_R, Feb 2024

Finding the office for this experience was not too bad but the wait for the buses became insulting. The company had the schedule wrong.first they over booked the 10 Am trip by 28 persons requiring a second bus and boat. Then the boat was over 45 minutes late and took the first 45 no add 5 more . Left an hour late leaving 18 to get a boat 45 minutes later. BAD Magdalene Island no longer hosts a large Magdalene penguin colony. It is a clean island of nesting loud stinky Seagulls and about 1000 Magdalene penguins. Not the 30,000 pairs we saw 8 years ago. The walk was noisy and disappointing. No longer does the guest choose how far they walk.Formerly one could walk and return the short way back if tired now all must walk the full 45 minutes walk up and down the hill to the light house. No one with mobility problems should take this strenuous walk. The Marta island breeze by was a farce as there were no sea lions or seals .Seagulls and some cormorants only Luckily the bus dropped us in the port as it was ahastle getting the tender back in time as we were an hour or more late back .

Great penguins but with issues

Frank_F, Feb 2024

The island and the penguins were amazing. The "drive by" to see the sea loins was also great. They brought us all to sit on top on the boat roof to watch. The boat ride itself was rough but doable. This is not a trip for anyone with any kind of mobility issues. The downsides were there were more than 60 people which required another small van in addition to the big bus. It also required the bigger boat which we had to wait 20 minutes for. There is no tour guide on this trip and no information given along the way , so do your research before you go. Overall, overpriced for what we got.

Awesome excursion!

jtcalhoun, Feb 2024

We loved this excursion! An easy walk to the pick up point from the cruise terminal, and then transferred by bus to the boat. The crew on the boat was great! Seeing the penguins and bird life on Magdalena Island was absolutely amazing!!! It was also incredible to see and listen to all the sea lions on Marta Island. This excursion was very affordable compared to what the cruise line was offering, and we had such a wonderful time!

LOVE THE PENGUINS!

Pamela_H, Jan 2024

We arrived at Puenta Arenas via Princess Cruises. We took a tender boat to the pier and walked about 5 blocks to the office. We printed a Google Map that was very helpful with street names. The walk was easy, or taxis were available at the pier. To take a taxi, you need Chilean Pesos to pay. They do not accept credit cards or US Dollars. We checked in at the office then walked about 3 blocks to the bus. We had very nice bus transportation to the boat pier which was about 30-minutes away. We boarded the boat, stopped at a small island to see seals and birds, then proceeded to Magdalena Island to see Magellanic Penguins in their natural habitat. It was spectacular! It was cold and rainy so be sure to check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. Our boat crew was well organized and very attentive to the passengers. They offered hot chocolate, tea and coffee along with cookies. The restrooms on the boat were adequate and clean. This was definitely a recommendable excursion. We liked it a lot!!

Incomplete tour due to weather

Martin_P, Jan 2024

We were very excited to go on this tour. Due to the weather, we were unable to take the boat to the island. The company took us out by bus to meet the boat, however when we arrived the boat was not there. We waited for about an hour and they told us that due to high winds we were not able to complete the entire tour and return to our cruise ship in time. Everyone on the cruise decided to abandon the tour and return to Punta Arenas. Everything was comfortable on the bus, however the communication could have been better. The company refunded us 80% of the cost which I felt was fair.

Experience of a lifetime

Francisco_D, Jan 2024

My wife was glowing looking at the penguins from so close, this is a lifetime experience. Thank you so much for making this possible for us.

Viator Can & MUST Do Better

Mark_S, Jan 2024

This was a terrible experience. We didn’t get to see the penguins because weather prevented the boat from leaving in time for us to complete the tour and still make it back to our ship in time. I certainly don’t blame the tour operator for the weather; they’re quite up front about that being a possibility. However, I absolutely blame them for NO communication while we sat on a bus for 1.5 hrs, then poor communication after passengers demanded to know what the status was. And, I especially blame their office staff’s cold shoulder and refusal to talk to us when we returned for a refund. Viator should disassociate themselves from this tour provider until they get their act together. And, to Viator, while you’re listening, this makes me reluctant to use your tour operators in the future. There are too many better providers to accept this very poor vetting by you.

A tour for the memories! Will never forget!

Lucia_R, Dec 2023

This was a tour that I will forever remember. From the boat ride, to the sea lions at Isla Marta, and getting to walk with penguins and gulls in Isla Magdalena. The crew working on our boat was spectacular, giving us snacks and coffee, and simply navigating the Straight of Magellan which is a pretty hard thing to do. We had the opportunity to photograph the penguins, the gulls, along with their young! It was a great time, 10/10 recommend, and would definitely do this again!

Penguins!

Dana, Dec 2023

A can’t-miss trip to see Magellan penguins up close. The pickup was very convenient a few blocks from the cruise port. The cheerful guides used both English and Spanish. Be prepared for a rough boat ride. Expect high winds. There is 1 hour on Magdalena island with an easy loop path with 2m separation to the penguins. Timing was punctual.

Spending time with the penguins...Awesome

Sally_W, Dec 2023

Awesome experience! Walking among the penguins was truly magical. We were in their territory and able to view their life and watch the interactions.

Amazing + Unforgettable Experience

Manna_S, Dec 2023

Super fun and straightforward process. Everything went smoothly. The penguins were adorable! The staff was very kind and professional.

Great visit with penguins

Patricia_B, Dec 2023

This excursion was very good, although with a few delays. The hour spent with the penguins was excellent and the sea lion observation was perfect. Everyone involved did a good job, especially the boat crew. A little smoother transition from office to bus to ship without delays would have made it perfect.

Penguins, Skuas, and Sea Lions, oh my!!

Alan_W, Dec 2023

The captain got the ship very close to view the sea lions. The captain and crew were very accommodating, very nice, and gave lots of information on what we would see and what we had seen. The hot chocolate on the way back was a nice addition!