One hour on foot among the penguins of Martillo Island
The walk on Martillo Island is short, about an hour on foot, and it is the reason most people pay for the full day from Ushuaia. This guide follows the day from the dock to the island and back, with the rules among the birds and what to carry.
How you reach the island
The walk starts at Estancia Harberton, roughly 85 km (53 miles) east of Ushuaia on the Beagle Channel. From the estancia shore a rigid inflatable boat crosses to Martillo Island in about 15 minutes.
Only one operator is licensed to land visitors, and Azul Latina Travel's full day at ~$530 includes that crossing. The boats from Ushuaia and Puerto Almanza stop offshore, so this tour is the only way to stand on the island.
Two departures, two orders
The tour leaves the Tourist Port in Ushuaia at 8:30 am or 10:30 am, with check-in half an hour earlier. The agency confirms which one after you book, so keep both mornings free until you hear.
The early departure drives to Harberton first and walks among the penguins in the morning. The later one sails out on the channel first, walks later in the day and returns by road.
Either way you pass the channel islands and the lighthouse from the water. Our Harberton guide covers the farm and the museum of bones you may visit on the way.
Check your voucher for the exact meeting spot. One reviewer was sent to the Port Authority while the company's hut stood about 400 m (a quarter mile) away.
The road leg follows National Route 3 and then Route J toward Harberton, and the last stretch is a dirt road. On the water leg the boat passes Sea Lion Island and the cormorant rocks around Les Eclaireurs lighthouse.
The hour on foot
Once ashore, a specialized guide leads the group for about an hour among the birds. Gentoo and Magellanic penguins share the island, and they stand on the beach and the slope a few metres from where you walk.
The group stays together and the guide sets the pace. Reviewers describe a guide who is strict about distance and also helps people get their photos, which keeps the hour calm for birds and visitors alike.
Groups are capped at 20 people, and the guide speaks Spanish and English. Its scores are 4.9 from 25 reviews on GetYourGuide and 4.7 from 54 on Viator, where its guides are rated 4.8.
The two species look quite different once you know the clues. Our species guide lists the bill and chest marks that set them apart, so you can name each bird before you land.
Photography is easy here because the birds come close. A phone camera does the job, and crouching low gives you an eye-level view, as long as you stay on the guide's side of the line.
Keep the camera strap around your wrist in the wind and leave the flash off. Then put the phone away for a few minutes and simply watch, since the hour passes quickly.
Rules among the birds
The rules are few and firm. You keep your distance and never touch or feed a penguin, and a bird crossing your way always goes first.
Penguins sometimes wander close to the group on their own. Stay still and let them pass, and leave it to the guide to move everyone on.
Low voices and slow movements help too. The birds spend these weeks nesting and feeding chicks between fishing trips, and a calm group gets to watch them for longer.
What to bring for the walk
Nothing on the listings mentions toilets or food on the island, so plan as if there were none. Eat before you leave and carry what you need for the hour.
- Water and a snack for the long day
- A windproof, waterproof jacket
- A warm hat and gloves
- Shoes with grip for a gravel or dirt path
- Sunglasses for the glare off the water
- Your passport, since the agency asks for its number at booking
Summer days on the channel are cool, and the wind makes them feel colder. Our packing guide for the Beagle Channel goes through the layers in more detail.
An hour ashore with a guide
Azul Latina Travel crosses from Estancia Harberton to Martillo Island and walks you among gentoo and Magellanic penguins, with a Beagle Channel cruise on the same day.
Who the walk is not for
The listing rules out anyone with limited mobility, wheelchair users included. Pregnant women and babies under one are excluded as well, which makes sense given the steady footing the boat crossing and the walk ask for.
If anyone in your party falls into those groups, the catamaran from Ushuaia sees the same colony from its deck. Our walk-or-boat comparison sets the two side by side.
The listing only excludes babies under one, but the day is long for small children. Eight hours split between a road leg and a boat leg can tire them out before they reach the birds.
Booking the walk
The tour is non-refundable on GetYourGuide, with a full refund only if it cannot operate. Check the Viator terms before you book, since the same tour is listed there too.
Booking asks for each traveler's passport number, along with a WhatsApp contact. Confirmation can take up to 48 hours, so book well before your last free day.
Extras come in pesos, a port fee of 6,000 and the Harberton entry of 60,000 if you go in. The price guide totals them, and the best time to go helps you pick a date when both species are around.