Amazing island.To go you have to buy a ticket for the ferry, that costed 60 usd.The trip is 5 hours long (2 to go, 1 hour in the island and 2 to return).1 hour in the island is enough, to appreciate the 150.000 penguins that exist in there.You can approach to penguins and it's really amazing!Great experience.
We spent three days in Punta Arenas and did this tour by ourselves, we had a great time on the island, you can see a lot of penguins and they are free to walk everywhere, so if you're lucky they can get very close to you!! You have to book at least one day in advance the ferry with Comapa (30,000 Chilean pesos) and the round trip takes 5 hours, 4 in the ferry and 1 on the island. Be sure to use a good jacket because the island is cold, windy and it can rain. Definitely worth it!!
Wonderful visit with the penguins. You are right there with them. I went on an overcast day but still enjoyed it immensely. The ferry ride was lovely as well.
Weather was good so this probably colored the trip in a positive way. Short bus to the boat which then went out to the islands. Nice lagniappe of coffee after a windy time on the island. Great experience!
Great time on the island! Thousands of penguins, the only bad thing is that it is a two hour ferry to the island and only one hour on the island. The one hour is non-negotiable and the time flies by so fast. At about 45 min. into the trip the guides start forcing you back on the boat. If you want to see the light house go there straight off or you will miss it!
I'm giving this a "3" just because it's a fairly long amount of time (4 hours return) to spend on a boat for a 1 hour opportunity to see penguins. Having said that, the penguins at isla magdalena are very cool. we enjoyed seeing that and that was really our only opportunity to do so. all in all i think the trip is definitely worth while if this is your only chance to see penguins in their natural habitat. keep in mind the 4 hours you'll spend on the boat, however. if you tend toward sea sickness take some Dramamine or similar concoction or else you might be uncomfortable. i was glad i took some.
We took the ferry. Pleasant ride even in choppy seas. The island is fantastic! I loved, loved, loved seeing the penguins in their habitat. Still some youngish birds in February. I'd love to go earlier and see the chicks.
These are the must see places if you want penguins. Plan on at least a four hour tour. Use a combination of bus and boat to get to these Islands
We booked through a local contact the trip on Transbordadora Austral Broom, for 30,000 pesos. Some reviews of the island had concerns about safety; certainly that was not an issue with this tour. The ferry was quite large, with indoor seating and a slow, but decent, coffee bar.It took over an hour and a half from the dock at the north end of Punta Arenas. This allowed about an hour on the island before the trip back.The island was incredible! Penquins everywhere! Some evil seagulls as well. We were there late January, which is in between their breeding cycle, so we didn't see eggs or very small penquins, but did see young birds that hadn't lost their downy feathers yet. Lots of noise (and stink!), but really a worthwhile experience. On the way in (and out) we did see many penguins in the water. They are a lot more agile in the water, like a completely different animal. Certainly the best $60 i spent in the area.The warnings about weather are worth listening to. The wind can whip up out of nowhere, so be prepared. The start of our homeward journey was quite rough, but did calm by the time we hit the PA harbour. Loads of dolphins swimming next to the boat for those who stood outside to see.
We had a great time. The tour began at their office and we went by bus to their pier. The boat was very nice and the crew was very helpful. Upon arrival in Isla Magdalena, the tide was a little low, so we went to Isla Marta to see the sea lions. The seas were a bit rough, but nothing they couldn't handle. Return back to Isla Magdalena and off to the see the Penguins. This is incredible!!!! To see them in their natural habitat. We went as the the young a are starting to lose their baby feathers. Upon getting on the boat, the crew had coffee and cookies for us. The return was a bit rougher but again crew handled it beautifully. I highly recommend Solo Expediciones.