Martillo Island Penguins
- Duration
- 10 hours
- Transport
- Car + boat
- Group
- up to 3 ppl (up to 11 on request)
- Season
- Oct–April
10 hours and three small wonders. In the morning — the Ruca Kellen chacra with raspberries and strawberries at Andrés's place; then lunch with seafood in the fishing village of Almanza; and the finale — Martillo Island. The only place in the world where you're allowed to walk between the penguins.
Program
-
Pickup from hotel. We drive east along the Beagle Channel via Ruta 3
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Ruca Kellen chacra at Andrés's — the southernmost berry farm in the world [Punta Parana, km 10.2 Ruta 30]. Strawberries, raspberries, calafate, rhubarb. Tea at the casa de té with a view of the channel
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Fishing village of Almanza — 30 houses with the Puerto Pirata restaurant on stilts. Lunch: centolla (king crab) or sea urchins [seasonal]
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Estancia Harberton, 1886 — the first private ranch on Tierra del Fuego, founded by missionary Thomas Bridges. 20,000 hectares
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Boat to Martillo Island [local name — Yekapasela]. 30 min across the strait
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The island: 10,000+ Magellanic penguins and ~100 Gentoos. THE ONLY place in the world where guests are allowed to walk among the colony [not just from a deck with binoculars]. The trail is marked, the nests are right next to you — but no touching
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Return by boat and car to Ushuaia
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Drop-off at hotel
Included
- ✓Russian-speaking guide for the full day (10 hours)
- ✓Round-trip hotel transfer in a comfortable vehicle
- ✓Logistics and coordination
- ✓Entry ticket to Martillo Island
- ✓First aid kit
Extra cost
- +Boat to Martillo without landing — $140/person
- +Boat to Martillo with landing — $250/person
- +Lunch — $20–$100/person (optional)
Photos
per group of up to 3
Related reading
Questions and answers
When's the best time for penguins? +
November to March, the breeding season. In January–February the chicks are bigger and active, popping out of their burrows. In April the colony empties out, only adults remain. In winter (Jun–Aug) there are no penguins.
Can we touch the penguins? +
NO. The colony is a protected area. The trail is marked, minimum 2 meters from penguins. They approach by themselves if curious — that's their choice. Nests and eggs — absolutely not.
Is it really the only place? +
Yes. Martillo is the only island in the world where you can walk on foot right through a penguin colony. Everywhere else (Antarctica, Falklands, Chile) — only from a boat or a boardwalk. Here — a path through the colony.
10 hours — isn't that too much? +
It's a full day, yes. Morning — chacra with berries, lunch — fishing village (centolla), second half of the day — Harberton and penguins. Budget yourself for the day — don't shortchange.
What if there's a storm and the boat doesn't sail? +
Weather in Ushuaia can close the island in 30 minutes. If a storm cancels the boat — we do an alternative: longer Harberton, longer Almanza, an extra location. No one leaves without an experience.
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