Packing for wind and spray on a Martillo Island penguin tour
Penguin season in Ushuaia is summer by the calendar and something cooler on the water. The wind on the Beagle Channel rarely rests. Showers drift through, then clear again within the hour. Good layers and grippy shoes make every one of the Martillo Island trips more comfortable.
Cool summers on the Beagle Channel
The penguin months fall in the southern summer, yet an Ushuaia summer day often sits around 8–14 °C (46–57 °F). That sounds mild until the wind picks up on open water and finds every gap in your jacket.
The Beagle Channel runs between mountains, and weather travels along it quickly. Rain and spray come and go within the same hour, so dress for the coldest stretch of the day rather than the view from your hotel window.
All three tours spend long stretches outdoors. The catamaran and the small boat keep you on the water for hours, and the walk on Martillo Island adds an hour on foot on open, windswept ground.
Layers that come off and go back on
Think in layers rather than one big coat. Start with a thin base layer and a fleece or light down jacket, then put a shell over both that stops the wind and the rain.
The shell does most of the work. A windproof, waterproof jacket with a hood you can pull tight keeps you warmer on deck than a heavy coat that lets the gusts in underneath. Waterproof trousers help on a wet day.
Cotton is the fabric to leave behind. Once spray or drizzle soaks a cotton sweater it stays cold until you get back to town. Wool or synthetic fleece holds some warmth when damp.
Dress for the deck, not for the cabin. Canoero's catamaran has a heated cabin with a cafeteria. You see the colony and the lighthouse best from outside, so that is where you will want to stand.
Covering your head and hands
A beanie that covers your ears does more than a cap, and a hood pulled over it does better still. Gusts on the channel can lift a loose hat off your head and drop it in the water.
Gloves are the item most people forget in summer. Thin ones let you work a phone screen or a camera dial, and a warmer pair over the top helps on the long sail back. Cold fingers end more photo sessions than anything the penguins do.
Pack sunglasses and sunscreen too. On a bright day the glare off the water is strong, and the sun this far south can burn your face even when the air feels cold. A buff or scarf shields your neck from wind and sun alike.
Shoes for the island path and a wet deck
On the one-hour walk on Martillo Island you follow a gravel or dirt path with a guide, stopping often while the birds go about their day. It is not a hike. Still, the stones are loose and the ground can be wet, so wear a sole that grips.
Wear comfortable shoes you have already broken in, ideally waterproof ones. A wet deck is slippery too, on the catamaran as much as on the small boat. Leave sandals and smooth city soles at the hotel.
Warm socks matter more than people expect. Much of the day is spent standing still at a rail or on the path, and cold feet make a long day feel longer. A spare pair in the bag weighs almost nothing.
What each tour hands you, and what it doesn't
The small boat from Puerto Almanza at ~$150 includes warm clothes and a hot drink. Reviewers mention a heated van and a heated boat with tea and hot chocolate on board, yet you still need your own shoes and gloves.
Our guide to the Puerto Almanza boats covers the van ride and the time on the water. Three of the five hours pass in the van, so the boat part is shorter than the total suggests.
Canoero's catamaran at ~$230 gives you a heated cabin with food and drinks for sale, which helps on the way out and back. Azul Latina's full day with the walk at ~$530 lists no warm clothing, so bring everything yourself for an eight-hour day.
Rather have warm clothes handed to you?
Explore Tierra del Fuego's small boat from Puerto Almanza comes with warm clothes and a hot drink, and the group stays at 15 people or fewer. It watches the penguins from the water, with no landing.
Seasickness and the open channel
Canoero's listing says the catamaran is not suitable for people prone to seasickness. The channel can be calm as a lake one morning and choppy the next, and the five-hour catamaran trip spends the most time on the water.
If you know you get queasy, take a tablet before you board, not once the boat starts rolling. Standing outside with your eyes on the horizon usually helps more than sitting in the cabin.
A light breakfast beats an empty stomach or a heavy one. The walk listing includes no meals, so eat before the 8:30 am or 10:30 am start and carry water with you.
Papers and small things for the bag
Canoero lists a passport or ID among the things to bring, so carry the original. On the walk tour, Azul Latina asks for every traveler's passport number at booking, and it makes sense to have the passport with you on the day.
A small backpack is enough for spare layers, a water bottle, a power bank for a long day of photos and a dry bag. The dry bag, or a plain plastic one, keeps the phone safe when spray flies.
Check the forecast before you lay out your clothes, and see our page on what happens when wind cancels a boat. For the warmest weeks and the longest days, our guide to the best time to go sets out the penguin year.
Arriving by ship? The same kit works on a port day, and our guide for cruise passengers covers the timing that matters more than the clothes.