Ushuaia, Argentina is known for being the southernmost town on the planet and for the dramatic scenery of Tierra del Fuego—but did you know that you can also actually see penguins here? Martillo Island, located near Ushuaia, is home to multiple species of penguins during the austral summer, who flock to this island to breed and raise their chicks. So if you want to see these feathered cuties for yourself, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Martillo Island, the only place to see penguins in Ushuaia.
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What is Martillo Island?
Martillo Island, also referred to Isla Martillo, is located here, about 80 km east of Ushuaia in the Beagle Channel. It’s believed that penguins come to this small island because of its lack of natural predators, which provides an ideal habitat for breeding and raising their young.
When to visit Martillo Island
Isla Martillo is typically home to Magellanic, gentoo, and, on rare occasions, even king penguins, during spring and summer in South America—i.e., October through April.
The population on Martillo Island is typically at its highest from November through February. If you’re set on seeing their eggs hatch (and the goofy little floofs that are baby penguins), the best months to visit are January and February.
Outside of these months, most of the penguins that breed on Martillo Island return to their normal feeding grounds along the southeastern Atlantic coastline of Argentina. There are about 20 pairs of gentoo penguins that are year round residents here, although, given the limited number of birds on Martillo Island during this timeframe, I wouldn’t recommend visiting in the winter months.
How to get to Martillo Island
Isla Martillo is only accessible via boat, with onshore access strictly limited to 20 people at a time by the Argentine government, to protect the penguins and the island’s fragile environment. Accordingly, the only way to get to Martillo Island is on a tour from Ushuaia, where the operator will transport you to the island, as well as have a knowledgeable guide who shares interesting information about the penguins and their habitat.
There are several tours that depart from Ushuaia, including this option and this option, both of which include one hour on Martillo Island to walk amongst the penguins, plus a scenic sail through the Beagle Channel, which is lined with the spectacularly beautiful Andes Mountains. The island itself is quite small, so an hour is a decent amount of time to wander around and watch these quirky birds go about their business.
Not all tour companies in Ushuaia have the appropriate permissions to actually land and walk on the island and instead, simply sail around its shores, which is DEFINITELY not the best way to see or take photos of the penguins. So be sure to triple check that any tour that you’re purchasing explicitly states that you’ll actually be landing on and visiting this island itself, so you can get up close and personal with our favorite tuxedo-wearing birds.
What to expect on a Martillo Island tour
As mentioned above, to see the penguins in Ushuaia, you’ll need to join one of the tours that depart from the city to Isla Martillo.
From Ushuaia, you’ll typically board a bus at the city’s port and drive for approximately two hours east, stopping along the way for photo opps of the funky trees that have adapted to Patagonia’s harsh winds and the glaciated Andes Mountains.
Finally, you’ll arrive at a dock, where your group will board a boat and sail 15 minutes across the Beagle Channel to Martillo Island. The Beagle Channel is protected on both sides by the Andes Mountains and typically has fairly calm waters, but you might want to bring along some motion sickness medication if you’re particularly sensitive to waves.
Since only 20 people are allowed on the island at a time, it’s not uncommon for larger tours to break into a few smaller groups, which rotate between visiting the island for an hour at a time, as the others peruse the nearby Acatushún Museum. This small, but interesting museum has displays about marine mammals, birds, and other wildlife in Patagonia. The tours I suggested above (this option and this option) are limited to under 20 people at a time, so good news—you won’t have to wait around for your penguin time!
Once you’re on the small island, your guide will lead you around to observe the penguins and their fascinating behaviors, like building burrow-like nests out of stones and twigs.
The colony is mostly made up of Magellanic penguins, who can be easily identified by the black band across their chest. They are the only species on the island that builds burrows, which can be up to 6 feet deep, to protect themselves and their young from predators.
There are also a fair amount of gentoos on Martillo Island, which is actually the only place in Argentina where you can see this species of penguins. You can spot gentoos by their bright orange beak and white plumage above their eyes.
On rare occasions, you can also get lucky and spot king penguins, which is one of the largest species of penguins (and kind of looks like the characters in the cartoon Happy Feet, which are supposed to be emperors). Sadly, there’s only a handful of breeding pairs of king penguins on Martillo Island, so it’s unlikely that you’ll spot them (and, even if you do, don’t expect them to tap dance!).
After your hour of walking amongst the penguins, most tours will shuttle you across the dock and back to Ushuaia. From here, you’ll usually board a larger boat for a scenic cruise around the Beagle Channel. While I totally get that the main highlight of the day is walking with penguins(!!!), sailing the Beagle Channel is definitely nothing to sneeze at, with tons of wildlife to be spotted, like whales, sea lions, and albatrosses, plus getting to see the picteresque Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and some of the most stunning mountainscapes in South America.
In total, most of these tours are about eight to nine hours in length so I’d dedicate at least a day of your Patagonia itinerary to seeing these unique creatures on Martillo Island.
Tips for visiting Martillo Island
Make sure your tour includes walking on the island
Not to totally beat a dead horse, but some of the tours to Isla Martillo from Ushuaia only include sailing around its coastlines, not actually landing and waddling amongst the penguins yourself.
It would be SO sad to simply view these funny little creatures from the water, so triple check that any tour you sign up for allows you to walk on land here, like this option or this option.
The better tour operators in Ushuaia will also limit their number of guests to no more than 20, so no one is forced to wait around for an hour while other people visit Martillo Island. Given the limited number of seats and the fact that visiting Martillo Island is one of the most popular things to do in Ushuaia, tours can frequently sell out, especially during busier periods, like in December and January, so I’d suggest booking at least a few days in advance.
Bring warm and waterproof clothing
Patagonia’s weather is unpredictable and harsh, even during the summertime. Be sure to pack plenty of warm layers and a rain jacket (my husband, Justin, uses this one and I use this one) to keep you toasty and dry during your adventure.
Bring extra money
Most of these tours require that you pay a small port fee while boarding (around 3500 ARS) and also do not include any kind of meals throughout the day. Accordingly, I’d recommend bringing some extra Argentinian pesos and a credit card (plus some snacks!) to keep your hunger at bay while you’re out playing with the penguins.
Pack your long lens
If you’re a photographer, I’d suggest bringing the longest lens you can. On Martillo Island, you can usually get up close to the Magellanic and gentoo penguins, but, if you’re lucky enough to spot a king penguin, they’re often off in the distance. Additionally, you’ll see other types of wildlife on your cruise, like sea lions and seabirds, but, given they’re typically lazing about the rocky islands that dot the Beagle Channel, it’s hard to get good photos of them from the boat.
We use this camera with this zoom lens and LOVE it.
I hope you enjoy visiting Martillo Island–it’s SO cool to see penguins near Ushuaia! Do you have any questions about visiting the island? Let us know in the comments below!
