Ushuaia penguin tour: sail to the colony.

The first stops are rocky islets crowded with sea lions and cormorants, then Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, which has guided ships into Ushuaia since 1920. From there the boat heads east to Martillo Island, home to Magellanic and Gentoo penguins, where it slows down off the beach and you watch the colony from the deck.

The guide explains what you see in English and Spanish, and the whole trip takes about 5.5 hours from the pier and back. You return in the early afternoon, windswept and happy, with the rest of the day free for a walk in town or a visit to one of the museums.

The island belongs to the historic estancia, founded in 1886 by the missionary Thomas Bridges. More than 10,000 Magellanic penguins live there in the breeding season, alongside a much smaller group of about 100 Gentoo penguins. Every penguin island tour from Ushuaia, whether it lands or not, heads for this one small island.

From the water the colony is a long pebble beach and a grassy slope dotted with burrows. Birds stand in rows at the waterline, waddle up the slope and dive into the waves to fish. Even at a distance it is an unforgettable sight, and the sound of the colony carries across the water when the engines go quiet.

The boat itself gets good marks too. Reviewers describe it as comfortable and spacious, with room to move between the inside and the decks and a small café on board for coffee and snacks. The guide's explanations about wildlife and history are a regular highlight, and so are the photographers on board who take pictures of guests during the trip.

Not every comment is glowing, and that is useful too. One traveler found the boat ride long and wished for more time with the penguins, and another could not hear the guide well from inside the cabin. Take a seat near the speakers or stay out on deck for the commentary, and bring patience for the long ride back.

Within the season the colony changes from week to week. Adult Magellanic penguins arrive in early September and lay two eggs in late October. Chicks hatch after an incubation of 40 to 42 days, and the young fledge from January to the beginning of March. High summer is when the beach is busiest.

Late in the season the scene quietens. The adults molt from March, standing still on the beach while their old feathers fall out, and then leave the island. A trip in April still shows you the channel, the lighthouse and the sea lions, with fewer penguins to watch on the beach.

If the weather is too rough to sail or the port is closed, the trip is cancelled. You are then offered a new date or a full refund of the amount you paid. Book the penguin trip early in your stay in Ushuaia and keep a spare day in case the first attempt falls through.

Rain is spread through the year rather than packed into one wet season. January brings 45 mm of precipitation on average and April 47 mm. Pack for showers whatever the month, and remember that a dry deck can still be a very windy one.

Then comes Les Eclaireurs, the red and white lighthouse on a rock in the middle of the channel. It became operational on December 23, 1920, and today runs remotely on solar power. It is often called the lighthouse at the end of the world, although the one in the Jules Verne novel stands on Isla de los Estados.

Further east the channel widens and the landscape grows wilder. Forests run down to the water on the Argentine side, the mountains of Navarino Island rise on the Chilean side, and on clear days the light on the water is spectacular. Keep your camera ready the whole way: whales and dolphins turn up now and then too.

The best pictures often come from the birds at the waterline: a line of Magellanic penguins heading into the surf, a Gentoo with its orange bill standing apart, a pair arguing at the edge of the colony. Watch for moments rather than trying to fit the whole beach into one frame.

Do not forget the rest of the trip. The lighthouse with snowy peaks behind it, sea lions piled on a rock and the wake of the catamaran against the mountains make strong pictures too. Keep a cloth for spray on the lens and a spare battery, since cold weather drains batteries quickly.

The operator asks you to bring comfortable shoes, warm and outdoor clothing, sunglasses, a sun hat and sunscreen. A windproof and waterproof jacket is the most important item, followed by a hat and gloves. The sun can be strong on clear days, and the reflection off the water adds to it.

Food and drinks are not included in the price, so bring water and a snack or plan to buy something on board. Pets and drones are not allowed on the trip. Leave large bags at your hotel: you will want your hands free for the rail, your camera and the binoculars.

The walk is a full day and costs much more. The full-day tour on GetYourGuide starts from $530, lasts 10 hours and is non-refundable. The catamaran on this site starts from $115 and offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

If you are wondering which is the best penguin tour in Ushuaia for you, it comes down to time, budget and how close you want to get. The boat is the easy, flexible half day with the whole Beagle Channel thrown in; the walk is the special day for travelers who want to stand among the birds.

Visitors see them at Parque Pingüino Rey, a little more than 100 km from the town of Porvenir. From Ushuaia that means a long day across Tierra del Fuego with a border crossing; a private day trip of 12 hours starts from $450.

If your journey through Patagonia also passes through Punta Arenas, the group tours from there are a cheaper way to the same colony. You can combine both trips: Magellanic and Gentoo penguins on the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia, king penguins on the Chilean side another day.

Know what you are booking. You watch the penguins from the boat and do not step onto the island, and the time at the colony is part of a longer trip that also covers the lighthouse and the wildlife islands. The transfer to the pier and any food or drinks are not part of the price.

Above all, remember that this is wild nature in a windy place. The captain can change the order of the stops, the type of vessel can vary, and the trip can be cancelled for bad weather, with a new date or a full refund. Book early in your stay, dress warmly, and enjoy one of the most memorable mornings Ushuaia has to offer.