Marta & Magdalena Islands

Magellanic Penguins and Sea Lions – Half Day Tour – “Small Boat” Option

The penguin colony on Magdalena Island is the only penguin colony of Magellanic Penguins near Punta Arenas.

Los Pingüinos Natural Monument is located about 20 miles Northeast of Punta Arenas, right in the middle of the world-known Strait of Magellan and protects the islands Marta & Magdalena.

Magdalena Island is home to some 120,000 Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus), being the larges penguin colony in Chilean Patagonia. Marta Island protects about 1,000 South American Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens).

Where as the sea lions live there year-round, the penguins are migrating birds that come to Patagonia every year from mid September to mid April.

*This tour is the one with the “small boat”. The “small boat” goes to the the penguin colony at Isla Magdalena as well as to the sea lions at Isla Marta. If you “only” wish to see Magellanic Penguins, take a look at the tour with the “big boat”/ with the ferry, which will “only” take you to Isla Magdalena, but is also a bit less pricey.

7:00 a.m.: departure and a short shuttle transfer from the center of Punta Arenas 15 miles North to Laredo Bay. From here you go aboard a small boat for about 40 passengers. Takes around 60min to Isla Magdalena, where you have about 1 hour (the limit set by the park rangers) to walk amongst thousands of penguins. The path leads on a slight slope up to Magdalena Island Lighthouse. Back on board of the boat, you continue another 15min North to Marta Island to observe the sea lions. You won’t go on land here, but cruise back and forth on the coast a few times to observe these marine mammals.  Usually some of the sea lions come very close to the boat to check it out, as they are quite curious. It’s always the question who’s observing whom?! An hour boat ride later, you’re back on the Patagonian mainland and hop on the shuttle transfer to the center of Punta Arenas, where you arrive roughly around noon.

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from down town Punta Arenas to the pier and back
  • Entrance fee to Los Pingüinos Natural Monument
  • English speaking tour guide on board (not during the transfer from town to the pier and back)

Additional Costs

  • Optional tips to your tour guide, the boatmen and/ or your driver
  • Food not included. Bring your own snacks.

Regular Departures

This half-day tour to the islands Marta & Magdalena departs every day in High Season (from October to mid-April or when the penguins decide to migrate). Get in touch with us to assure.

Price for Regular Departures

USD 112 p/p

Important

Please keep in mind that this excursion depends on the weather conditions. This basically means, if it is too windy, the tour can be canceled – safety first!

Although the focus of this half-day tour is on observing Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) and South American Sea Lions (Otaria flavescens), other animals that you may see on this tour include:

  • Cormorant (Phalacrocorax magallanicus)

  • Chilean Skua (Stercorarius chilensis)

  • Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus)

  • Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), also called Dominican Gull; very common

… and if you are somewhat lucky:

  • Chilean Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia), also called Black Dolphin, only found off the coast of Chile

  • Commerson’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii)

Kayak Tour on the Strait of Magellan

Get to know Punta Arenas from a different point of view.

Since Punta Arenas is located right at the world-known Strait of Magellan, what would be more reasonable than getting it to know the surroundings of the city from the sea?

How about a Kayak Tour on the Strait of Magellan?

Our half-day kayak tour runs twice a day – year-round, therefore, also during the Patagonian winter.

This kayak tour is possible for beginners.

Daily at 8:00 a.m. pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes in Punta Arenas. After a 30 minute transfer out of town and changing into the kayaking clothes and a brief introduction on how to use the kayaking equipment and kayaking itself, you are ready to take off. Directly in front of the city center you will be kayaking on the Strait of Magellan. The total kayaking time is about two hours. Return to our hotel just after 1:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m.

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from/to Hospedaje Magallanes

  • Complete kayak equipment: double kayaks, paddles, spraydecks, wetsuits, kayaking booties, kayaking gloves, kayaking jackets, life vests, bilge pump

  • Snack

  • English speaking kayak guide

Additional Costs

  • Optional tips to your tour guide and/ or your driver

Regular Departures

Our half-day kayak tour on the Strait of Magellan departs daily at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (year-round).

Important

Please keep in mind that this excursion depends on the weather conditions. This basically means, if it’s too windy, we won’t go – safety first!

Price

CLP 90,000 per person (about USD 105 – p/p*)

* Aug 29, 2023 exchange rate

Horseback Riding Patagonia Style

Enjoy the surroundings of Punta Arenas with this Horseback Riding Tour – Patagonia Style.

This tour is being guided by true gauchos, the Patagonian cowboys, as so to say. This way, you will not only experience a taste of adventure while riding through the diverse Patagonian landscape, but also an authentic inside view about the life of the people in Patagonia.

Our half-day horseback riding tour runs twice a day – year-round, therefore, also during the Patagonian winter.

This horseback riding tour is possible for beginners.

Daily at 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. Pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes in Punta Arenas. After a short shuttle transfer, arrive about 25km (15 miles) South of Punta Arenas, at Agua Fresca. Meet your guide at Hostería Agua Fresca, a small, family-run lodge. This tour is being guided by born-anailyd-bred Patagonian Gauchos that live here, in Agua Fresca. Ride along the famous Strait of Magellan, through wetlands that are inhabited by numerous birds and through high grown lenga forests. It won’t be boring, for sure! After about two hours on horseback, return to Hostería Agua Fresca for a typical, home-made snack. Return to your hotel in Punta Arenas at about 1:00/ 5:00 p.m.

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from/to Hospedaje Magallanes

  • Spanish speaking guide

The gauchos speak very little English, it would be too much to say that this tour is being led by an English speaking guide. Please keep this in mind and be prepared to possibly communicate with your hands and feet… 😉

Additional Costs

  • Optional tips to your tour guide and/ or your driver

Regular Departures

Our half-day horseback riding tour departs daily at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (year-round).

Price

CLP 55.000 per person (about USD 64 – p/p*)

* Aug 29, 2023 exchange rate

Fort Bulnes & Port Famine

Historic tour – Half Day – by land

Join a historic tour to Fort Bulnes & Port Famine.

In 1584, the Spanish navigator Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa founded the first settlement in Southern Patagonia to proclaim the region in the name of the Spanish crown. Gamboa’s colony “Ciudad de Rey Don Felipe” (King Philip City) turned out to be a disaster and did not last for long. About 300 people died of starvation, diseases or were killed in conflicts with the natives. The place soon became know as Puerto del Hambre (Port Famine).

In 1843, the Chilean government sent out an expedition to build the first Chilean settlement in Patagonia, Fort Bulnes, very close to Gamboa’s original settlement. The reason was quite similar, hence to emphasize the Chilean authority over these Southern lands, and, even more important, over the Strait of Magellan that was the only reasonable seaway between the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean until the Panama Canal was opened in 1914.

Today, the rebuild wooded fort and a hand full of cannons overlook the Strait of Magellan from a beautiful peninsula.

Every day at 9:00 am, pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes in Punta Arenas. Travel time South is about one hour. For most of the time, the road follows the coastline of the Strait of Magellan. Visit Port Famine & Fort Bulnes. Return to Punta Arenas at about 2 pm

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from/to Hospedaje Magallanes
  • English speaking tour guide

Additional Costs

  • Entrance fee CLP 10,000 per person
  • Optional tips to your tour guide and/ or your driver

Regular Departures

Our half-day tour to Fort Bulnes departs every day from September 01st through Apr 30 at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm 

Price for Regular Departures

CLP 30,000 per person (about USD 35 – p/p*)

+ Park entrance fee CLP 10,000 per person (about USD 11 – p/p*)

* Aug 29, 2023 exchange rate

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