The best time to book a Martillo Island penguin tour
Martillo Island has penguins all year, but only in the warmer months does it have both species and long days on the water. The weeks you pick decide which penguins you see, and the day you pick decides whether the boat sails at all.
The penguin year on Martillo Island
Two species share the colony. According to the small-boat tour's listing, gentoo penguins are present year-round, while Magellanic penguins arrive around October and leave around March.
That makes roughly October to March the window when you can see both, and the busiest stretch on the water. Outside it, the gentoos are what remains.
To tell a gentoo from a Magellanic penguin, use our guide to the species. It also covers the king penguin that turns up now and then, never on any promise.
From the first arrivals to the quiet months
- Around October and November, the Magellanic penguins return to their burrows and join the gentoos
- Around December and January, the longest daylight of the year, and usually the weeks when chicks appear
- February and March, the last weeks to see both species before the Magellanics leave
- April to September, gentoos only, shorter days and a colder channel, so check whether your chosen tour runs at all
Chicks usually appear around the middle of the season. Timing shifts from one year to the next, so treat any week as a rough guide rather than a timetable.
When the walk runs
The walking tour, Azul Latina's full day at ~$530, runs in the warmer part of the year. Its listing does not give exact first and last dates, so open the booking calendar and see which days it offers.
Estancia Harberton, where the boats to the island leave, is closed on Tuesdays. A Tuesday walk therefore skips its museum, and our page on the estancia explains what you would miss.
The walk is also non-refundable on GetYourGuide. Fix your travel dates before booking it, and read our account of the hour ashore first so you know what you are paying for.
Book the boat early in your stay
Wind decides every sailing on the Beagle Channel. A reviewer of Canoero's catamaran had the trip cancelled twice in one week, the strongest argument for booking the penguins on your first or second day in town.
If the first attempt falls through, you still have days left to rebook. Leave the last day of your trip for something on land, and see what happens when the wind cancels for each tour's terms.
Both boat tours cancel free up to 24 hours before and let you reserve now and pay later. That makes them easy to book early and to move if your plans shift.
A catamaran early in your trip
Canoero sails from the tourist dock in Ushuaia, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book one of your first days so a windy morning leaves time to try again.
Morning or afternoon on the catamaran
Canoero's catamaran at ~$230 runs morning and afternoon departures from the tourist dock at Av. Prefectura Naval Argentina 410. One reviewer took the 3:00 pm boat and suggests arriving about 45 minutes early to get a good seat.
The long summer evenings make an afternoon sailing comfortable, with daylight to spare on the way back. A morning boat suits people who want the rest of the day free or who are leaving town that evening.
Cruise passengers face a tighter clock. Our guide to a cruise stop sets out how the five-hour boats fit into a day in port, and why the walking tour rarely does.
Matching the day to the tour
Each tour puts its own pressure on the calendar. The walk takes about 8 hours, with the departure time confirmed by the agency after booking, so it needs a full free day with nothing fixed that evening.
The catamaran and the small boat each take about five hours. Either fits into half a day, which leaves space for a second attempt on the same trip if the wind wins the first round.
The small boat starts with about 1.5 hours in a van, so its clock runs from the meeting point in town. Our page on small boats from Puerto Almanza shows how that day splits up.
Weather through the summer
Even in summer Ushuaia stays cool, often around 8–14 °C (46–57 °F). The wind on open water makes it feel colder, and rain and spray come and go, so dress in layers whatever the forecast says.
Our packing guide covers what to bring for the deck. A seat inside the cabin helps on a grey day, but the views and the photos are outside.
Around December and January the long daylight gives you more time on deck on the way back. At the start and end of the season the days shorten and the channel feels cooler, so pack one more layer.
When not to go
Skip the cold months if Magellanic penguins are the point of your trip, since only gentoos stay. Skip Tuesdays for the walking tour if you want the museum at Harberton.
Also skip booking the boat on your last day in Ushuaia. With wind able to cancel any sailing, the day before a flight leaves no room for a second try.
Avoid a shaky date for the walk in particular. Because it is non-refundable, a day you might have to change suits a boat with free cancellation far better.
Our comparison of tour prices helps you choose which tour goes on that early day. Once the dates are fixed, book the boat first and plan the rest of your stay around it.