Beagle Channel Catamaran Tour to the Penguins of Isla Martillo
This Beagle Channel catamaran tour runs 5-6 hours from the Ushuaia tourist port out to the penguin colony on Isla Martillo.
Updated 29 October 2026
In shortThe Catamaran Tour through the Beagle Channel and Penguins in Isla Martillo is a 5-6 hour sailing from the Ushuaia tourist port that takes in Isla de los Pájaros, Isla de los Lobos, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and about 40 minutes beside the Isla Martillo colony. Navigation and guidance are included, with a live English-speaking guide. It suits travellers sailing between October and April who want a long catamaran day on the water, with all fees and taxes covered and a restroom on board.
5–6 htour length
from US$240per adult
★ 4.2127 reviews
What this Beagle Channel catamaran tour covers
This is one of the longest catamaran days on this site: 5-6 hours from the Ushuaia tourist port along the channel as far as Isla Martillo, about 90 km from town on the eastern side. Navigation and guidance, all fees and taxes, an air-conditioned vehicle and a restroom on board are included. Private transportation is not.
The trip runs on catamarans built in 2018 and 2019. The route takes in Isla de los Pájaros, Isla de los Lobos, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, the Bridges archipelago and Isla Gable, with Puerto Almanza visible on the Argentine shore and Puerto Williams across the water in Chile.
Nobody steps onto Isla Martillo on this sailing. The catamaran holds for about 40 minutes at the beach where the birds nest and you watch them from on board, four or five metres away, as they swim and walk. Magellanic and Gentoo penguins are on the island from October to April and king penguins turn up only occasionally, so the penguin part of the day depends entirely on the month you sail.
The channel is sheltered water rather than open sea, which keeps the ride steadier than the distances suggest. Cold and wind are constant in Ushuaia, so bring a windproof layer even in January, when averages sit around 10 to 15°C.
The long catamaran day, penguins included
5-6 hours of navigation with guidance, all fees and taxes, an air-conditioned vehicle and a restroom on board, with about 40 minutes at the Isla Martillo colony.
Isla de los Pájaros Bird island, with skuas, black-browed albatross, steamer ducks, cauquenes, Cook's gulls and grey gulls among the species the operator lists.
Isla de los Lobos The sea lion island, with one-haired and two-haired sea lions hauled out on the rocks. Both islands belong to the Bridges archipelago.
Faro Les Eclaireurs20 min Twenty minutes at the lighthouse that is often confused with the Faro del Fin del Mundo, which actually stands on Isla de los Estados, more than 200 km away. This is the photo stop, with imperial and rock cormorants on the rocks; the itinerary places the SS Monte Cervantes shipwreck here in the 1930s.
Isla Bridges The catamaran sails through the Bridges islands archipelago. There is no landing on this tour.
Puerto Almanza The fishing village on the channel comes into view from the water. It lies about 72 km from Ushuaia by road and is known for king crab.
Puerto Williams The Chilean town on the far shore of the channel is pointed out from the boat.
Isla Gable A pass by the island the operator describes as a former home of the Yamana people.
Isla Martillo40 min The catamaran stops at the island beach for about 40 minutes beside a colony the operator puts at more than 6,000 Magellanic and Gentoo penguins, with king penguins on occasion. You stay on board and watch from four or five metres, without disturbing the nests.
Photos: ours and the tour operator's
What is included
Included
Navigation and guidance
All fees and taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Restroom on board
Not included
Private transportation
Meeting point, pickup and cancellation
Meeting point: the Ushuaia Tourist Port, on the waterfront at Avenida Prefectura Naval Argentina and Comodoro Augusto Laserre, directly in front of the Secretary of Tourism.
Private transportation is not included, so work out how you are getting to the port before the departure time.
Cancellation: for a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time. Current departure times are shown on the booking page.
Sailings leave the port area all year, and cancellations for weather are announced officially by the Prefectura Naval Argentina. Plan the navigation early in your stay so a cancelled day still leaves room to sail again.
How this catamaran tour compares with other Beagle Channel sailings
Length is what separates these catamaran sailings. The 3 hour trip at US$75 stays around the islands and the lighthouse, the 4 hour version at US$141 adds transfers, while the 5.5 hour and 6 hour options at US$167 and US$169 run east towards the penguin colony, as this 5-6 hour tour does.
Tour
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Catamaran Tour through the Beagle Channel and Penguins in Isla Martillo (this page)
Boats leave the port area throughout the year, while the penguins are on Isla Martillo from October to April, with fewer birds at the very start and end of the season.
