MorningMorning, with sea lions
60min with penguins,
of ≈5 h
of ≈5 h
05 h
- Start
- 6:30 from the operator office
- Extra
- Isla Marta sea lions from the boat
- From
- $160 · ★ 4.6 (718)
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena
A Punta Arenas penguin tour to Isla Magdalena takes 5–6 hours and gives you about one hour on the island, walking a roped path through the burrows to the lighthouse. Tours cost $155–200; two of them leave after midday.
Check datesUpdated Nov 2026 · Prices checked Nov 2026
AfternoonAfternoon sailing
60min with penguins,
of 5–6 h
of 5–6 h
06 h
- Start
- 12:30 or 13:30
- Extra
- from Muelle Prat, in the city centre
- From
- $170 · ★ 4.7 (73)
Quick answer
Book the Magdalena + Marta morning tour if you can be up at 6:30 — it adds the sea lions and has 718 reviews. With only an afternoon free, the afternoon catamaran sails at 13:30.
- One hour on the island on every tour — a CONAF limit, not an operator choice.
- Visits run October to March; December–January has the most birds.
- Tours leave from three places: an office in town, Muelle Prat and Tres Puentes.
- The Isla Marta stop is the first thing dropped in rough water.
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena — The Four Tours
Four tours sail to Isla Magdalena with ten or more reviews, and each gives you the same hour on the island. The differences are the start time, the boat, whether Isla Marta is included and how you get to the dock. Pick the morning tour for the sea lions, the catamarans for a calmer, larger boat, the three-departure ferry for the most start times.
Magdalena + Marta morning tourFirst-timers who want penguins and sea lions in one morning
60 min on the island + ≈30 min at Isla Marta
6:30 from the officecoach to Laredo Bayback ≈11:00$160per personCheck dates
Morning catamaranThose who want the island only, with a highly rated guide
60 min guided walk no Isla Marta
6:30hotel transfer to the officepassport details at booking$160per personCheck dates
Afternoon catamaranLate risers and anyone whose morning is taken
60 min on the island 7:00 or 13:30
≈1.5 h catamaran each way800 m trail to the lighthousehotel transfer extra$170per personCheck dates
Three-departure ferryFlexible plans and travellers who need step-free access
≈60 min on the island 6:00 · 10:00 · 12:30
fast ferry, airline-style seatsmonument entry included10:00 from Tres Puentes$180per person · $200 on some datesCheck dates
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Also on GetYourGuide: a pier-departure trip at 6:00 or 12:30 — $155 from the pier or $195 with hotel pickup and a snack, but only 3 reviews so far. One further Magdalena listing is rated 2.8 and left out.
Source: GetYourGuide listings, checked Nov 2026
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena by Boat, Catamaran or Ferry
The boat decides how long you sit on the water and how the wind feels, not how long you get with the penguins. The morning boat crosses in about 50 minutes and adds Isla Marta; the catamarans take 45–90 minutes in a larger, steadier hull; the public ferry needs about two hours each way but costs around $60 less.
Tour boat
Tour boat with Isla Marta
≈50min each way
02 h each way
- Leaves from
- the operator office, then a 30-min coach to Laredo Bay
- In wind
- livelier; the Marta stop may be skipped
- On board
- coffee, tea, a snack
- Price
- from $160
Catamaran
Catamaran
≈45–90min each way
02 h each way
- Leaves from
- the office (morning) or Muelle Prat (7:00 / 13:30)
- In wind
- steadier, but still cancelled in strong wind
- On board
- outdoor deck; drinks not included on the afternoon tour
- Price
- from $160–170
Do it yourself
TABSA public ferry
≈2h each way
02 h each way
- Leaves from
- Terminal Tres Puentes, north of the centre
- In wind
- the largest boat; cancelled by the same port closures
- On board
- indoor seats; guides and monument entry included
- Price
- CLP 96,000 adult (≈$100), CLP 48,000 child 5–13
Not bookable here — buy from the ferry company.
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Source: operators' itineraries on GetYourGuide, Nov 2026 · ferry: meteored.cl, Oct 2026
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena Half Day — What Fits in Five Hours
A half-day penguin tour fills roughly 6:30 to 11:00, and only one hour of it is on Isla Magdalena. About two hours go on the coach and the boat, half an hour on the sea lions at Isla Marta, and the rest on check-in. That leaves the afternoon free for the city or for the drive north to Puerto Natales.
By roadBy boatOn the islandIsla Marta
A Punta Arenas penguin tour half-day trip suits a "glue day" between Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine: one guest drove to Puerto Natales the same afternoon and reached a lodge in the park by 20:00. Expect check-in at the office to take a while — guests on several tours mention queues of 30–60 minutes before the coach leaves.
- 1Operator office · José Nogueira 1255
- 2Laredo Bay dock
- 3Isla Magdalena
- 4Isla Marta
On the map: Operator office, Laredo Bay dock, Isla Magdalena, Isla Marta
© OpenStreetMap contributorsOpen in maps
Source: Magdalena + Marta morning tour itinerary on GetYourGuide, Nov 2026 · guest reviews
Check datesPunta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena Afternoon Departures
Yes, you can see the Magdalena penguins in the afternoon: two well-reviewed tours sail at 12:30 and 13:30, from Muelle Prat in the centre. You get the same hour on the island as on a morning trip and are back in the early evening. Afternoon sailings are cancelled for wind more often than morning ones, so keep a spare morning. Our afternoon catamaran review covers the 13:30 sailing hour by hour.
Afternoon catamaranAlso sails at 7:00 · ≈1.5 h catamaran each way
60 min of 5–6 h
13:30
Muelle Prat
$170per person
On the island
800 m trail to the lighthouse
Transfer
hotel transfer as an add-on
Three-departure ferryAlso at 6:00 and 10:00 · fast ferry
60 min of 5–6 h
12:30
Muelle Prat
$180per person
Access
wheelchair accessible
Price
moves with the date — $200 on some
Pier-departure tripAlso at 6:00 · from the pier
60 min of 5–6 h
12:30
the pier
$155per person
Catch
Only three reviews so far.
Source: GetYourGuide availability, checked Nov 2026
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena — The Hour on the Island
On Isla Magdalena you walk a roped path of about a kilometre through the nesting burrows to the 1902 lighthouse, and the penguins cross it in front of you. The visit is limited to about one hour by CONAF, which runs the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument. Rangers keep groups moving so the next boat can land.
The path is unpaved and exposed, with no shelter from the wind and no toilets; the boat is the only place to warm up. Sources give different lengths — 800 m on one listing, 850 m in a 2026 report, 1.4 km in CONAF's leaflet — but every tour follows the same loop.
Numbers depend on the month. In October males repair the burrows, in December and January chicks stand at the entrances, and by mid-February the colony thins. Guests in early November and late March counted only a few dozen birds by the path.
Source: CONAF Los Pingüinos leaflet, Jan 2026 · meteored.cl, Oct 2026
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena with Isla Marta Sea Lions
Only the morning tour with Isla Marta adds the sea lions: about 30 minutes off the island's beaches, watched from the boat, never landed. The operator counts over a thousand South American sea lions there. In rough water the stop is dropped and not refunded, so treat it as a bonus.
A tour for thisMagdalena + Marta morning tour
$160per personCheck dates
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena Season — When to Book
Book December or January for a full colony with chicks; October to March for any visit at all. Tours do not run from April to September. The king penguin park stays open into May, which is the only penguin option after March.
Source: CONAF Los Pingüinos leaflet, Jan 2026 · pinguinorey.com, checked Nov 2026
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena in Wind and Bad Weather
Tours go in rain and cold; they stop when the Chilean Navy closes the port for wind. Then the operator offers a new date or a refund, and the booking platform refunds in full if you cancel 24 hours ahead. Book your penguin tour on your first full day so a cancelled sailing can move.
Check dates- 1Book an early day
Leave one or two days after it free in Punta Arenas. - 2Watch the messages
Operators send changes by WhatsApp or email the evening before. - 3Take the new date or the refund
Cancelled sailings are rebooked or refunded; Isla Marta dropped mid-trip is not. - 4Bring tablets
A rough return is the most common complaint after wind.
What to Bring — Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena
Bring your passport, warm layers and a windproof shell; leave large bags at the hotel. The listings ask for ID at check-in, the island is bare and windy, and there is no food or toilet ashore.
- Passport or IDRequired at check-in; one tour asks for passport details when you book.
- Layers and windproofHat and gloves even in summer.
- Shoes for mudThe path is unpaved.
- Sunglasses and sunscreenStrong light off the water.
- A snackOnly coffee and a snack on board, at most.
- No large bagsOversized luggage is not allowed on the boats.
Check Dates for a Punta Arenas Penguin Tour to Isla Magdalena
One hour among the penguins, back by lunch — the Magdalena + Marta morning tour, sea lions included. Only afternoons free? See the afternoon sailings.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before; a weather cancellation gets a new date or a refund.
Live dates and seats from GetYourGuide
Punta Arenas Penguin Tour Isla Magdalena FAQ
How long is a Punta Arenas penguin tour to Isla Magdalena?
Five to six hours door to door, of which about one hour is on the island. The rest is check-in, the coach or van to the dock and the crossing, which takes 45–90 minutes each way on the tours and about two hours on the public ferry.
Is there a half-day penguin tour from Punta Arenas?
Yes — every Isla Magdalena tour is a half day. The Magdalena + Marta morning tour runs from 6:30 to about 11:00; afternoon sailings at 12:30 and 13:30 end in the early evening.
Can I stay longer than one hour on Isla Magdalena?
No. CONAF limits visits to about one hour so that the colony is not disturbed, and every tour and the public ferry keep to it.
How many penguins are on Isla Magdalena?
Tens of thousands, but sources differ widely — CONAF's leaflet gives about 21,000 birds in Spanish and 56,000 couples in English, operators say over 60,000 pairs. Numbers on the day depend on the month: highest in December and January, thin by March.
Do I need to book the Magdalena penguin tour in advance?
Yes, in December and January. Morning boats fill first; booking ahead also lets you pick a day early in your stay, which leaves room if wind cancels a sailing.
Is the Magdalena island penguin tour suitable for wheelchair users?
Only partly. Most tours state they are not suitable for limited mobility; the three-departure ferry lists wheelchair access, and a 2026 report says the first 250 m of the island path are accessible.
Can children go to Isla Magdalena?
Yes. The tours do not state a minimum age, and on the public ferry children under 5 are free and 5–13-year-olds pay CLP 48,000. Bring warm clothes for them — the deck and the island are cold even in summer.
Is the Isla Magdalena entrance fee included?
Yes on the tours: the listings include entry to Los Pingüinos Natural Monument. On the public ferry the fare also includes it, with guides and port fees. Every tour and fare side by side: Punta Arenas penguin tour price.