Magdalena Island (Los Pingüinos Natural Monument)
Isla Magdalena – Monumento Natural Los Pingüinos
A small island in the Strait of Magellan where about 60,000 pairs of Magellanic penguins nest every summer. Walk along the path to the lighthouse, and the penguins will be right beside you, wandering around.
Isla Magdalena lies in the middle of the Strait of Magellan, about 35 km northeast of Punta Arenas. It covers less than 1 square km. The only structure on the island is a white lighthouse with a red roof, built in 1902, and the rest is low grassy slopes. In 1982, the island was designated as the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, managed by the Chilean National Forestry Corporation. From around October each year, tens of thousands of Magellanic penguin pairs return from northern waters to the island, digging burrows in the grass to nest, lay eggs, and incubate them. The young hatch in December and January. At the peak, the island has about 60,000 pairs, or more than 100,000 penguins, along with many kelp gulls and cormorants. To visit, take a ferry from the Punta Arenas dock, which takes about 2 hours (in peak season, afternoon departures give about 1 hour on the island), or a speedboat, which takes about 30 to 40 minutes. The speedboat is often combined with a visit to nearby Marta Island to see sea lions. Once on the island, follow the rope-lined path about 1 km to the lighthouse. Inside, there is a small exhibit, and from the top you can see the whole penguin colony. The penguins often stand right beside the path, and sometimes cross it, so keep your distance, give them the right of way, and do not touch or feed them. Tours cost roughly CLP tens of thousands to over CLP 100,000 and must be booked in advance. They are often canceled due to strong winds, so it is wise to plan a spare day in Punta Arenas. The island is very windy, with no shelter or facilities, so wear a windproof jacket, a hat, and gloves. Another option is the King Penguin Park farther away at Bahía Inútil on the Chilean side of Tierra del Fuego, where you can see king penguins.
Opening hours
Approx. Oct–Mar; ferry departs daily in the afternoon (seasonal)
Nearby sights
- Nao Victoria Museum
- Zona Franca (Zofri) Punta Arenas
- Museo del Recuerdo
- Monumento al Ovejero
- Sara Braun Municipal Cemetery
- Salesian Museum Maggiorino Borgatello
- Magallanes Regional Museum (Braun-Menéndez Palace)
- Costanera del Estrecho