Our pick
Walk with Penguins on Magdalena & Marta Island, Solo Expediciones
You check in at the Solo Expediciones office on José Nogueira, two blocks from the Plaza de Armas; the Viator listing gives a 6:30 am start. From there a bus takes about 30 minutes to the port at Laredo Bay.
The speedboat crosses to Magdalena Island in about 45–50 minutes. A bilingual guide then leads a walk of about an hour along the trail, with Magellanic penguins on both sides and burrows dug into the ground all around.
On the way back the boat spends about 30 minutes circling Marta Island. The listing counts over 1,000 sea lions there, and its bird list runs from cormorants and kelp gulls to southern giant petrels. You are back at the main square about five hours after you left.
- Duration
- About 5 hours
- With the penguins
- About 1 hour ashore
- Group
- Up to 60 people
- Route
- Laredo Bay, Magdalena, Marta
- Departure
- José Nogueira 1255, 6:30 am per Viator
- On board
- Coffee service included
- Limits
- Not suited to wheelchairs, heart conditions or limited mobility
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours; reserve now, pay later
How the morning runs, step by step
This is the order the listing gives. Wind and sea on the strait can stretch or shorten any leg of it.
Out of Punta Arenas
- Check in at the Solo Expediciones office, José Nogueira 1255
- Bus of about 30 minutes to the port at Laredo Bay
- Speedboat across the strait, about 45–50 minutes
On the water
- About 1 hour on foot among the burrows of Magdalena Island
- About 30 minutes around Marta Island for the sea lions and seabirds
- Back by boat and bus to the main square
What the price covers
The fare pays for the crossing and the walk. Anything to do with your hotel or your lunch is up to you.
Included
- The speedboat to Magdalena and around Marta Island
- Coffee service on board
- A bilingual guide (English and Spanish)
- Entry to the island
Not included
- Hotel pickup or drop-off
- Meals
- Tips
- A promise of calm water
Between us, before you go
A word from one windblown traveler to another. The listing says the trip is not for people with mobility impairments or heart problems, and not for wheelchair users. Up to 60 people share the boat and the trail, so the walk is a sociable one.
The trip ends at the main square, not your hotel, so plan the last few blocks. A hat that stays on in the wind matters more than you think. Our guide to dressing for the strait covers the rest.
Why it beats the catamaran
The speedboat spends about 45–50 minutes on the water each way, where the catamaran from town needs about an hour and a half. Solo also adds the Marta Island loop, and its listing carries 700+ reviews against 73 on Caminos'. Speedboat or catamaran sets the two side by side.
What you give up is the pier in town. Solo's trip starts and ends with a bus, and the group is a little larger.
Who we would not send on it
Anyone with limited mobility or a heart condition, whom the listing itself turns away. Late risers, who will be happier on Caminos' 12:30 pm catamaran. And travelers who have seen Magellanic penguins before and came for something taller, who should look at the Tierra del Fuego king penguin day.
Book it if
You want one well-run morning with the penguins and the sea lions. Get on the water fast, walk the colony for an hour and be back in town for lunch. It suits couples and friends as well as families who can manage a dirt trail in the wind.
Skip it if
- Not a morning person? Take Caminos' afternoon catamaran
- After king penguins? Go with the Tierra del Fuego day, from ~$119
- Want whales as well? Try Solo's whale and glacier cruise
- Unsure about the walk? Read our hour on Magdalena first
Ready to cross to Magdalena?
The trip is on GetYourGuide (4.6 from 700+ reviews) and on Viator (4.5 from 170+). Both let you cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so you can watch the wind forecast before you commit.
