Guide · Best time

Ushuaia penguin tour in April and the rest of the season

The penguins of Martillo Island keep their own calendar. Find out when they arrive and leave, what you see in each month, whether an Ushuaia penguin tour in April is still worth it, and what the weather is like on the channel.

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Editorial team, ushuaia-penguin-tour.comUpdated October 16, 2026Reading time about 6 minutes10 sources

The matching tour Ushuaia: Catamaran to the penguins of Martillo Island 4.5 (553 reviews) 5.5 hoursLes Eclaireurs lighthouse on the wayGuide in English and Spanish from$115per person Check availabilityNo fee to cancel up to 24 hrs before

Quick answer

01Season: Penguins come to Martillo Island to breed between October and April.¹
02April: April is the last month of that window, the tail end of the season.¹
03Busiest: Chicks fledge from January to the beginning of March.²
04Some boats stop earlier: One operator runs its penguin trip from October to March only.³
05Weather: An average April day peaks at 9.4 °C.⁴

Is April too late to see the penguins?

If you are planning an Ushuaia penguin tour in April, the short answer is that you are at the very end of the season, not outside it. The tourism office in Ushuaia gives the penguin window at Martillo Island as October to April, the months when the birds come to the island to breed.¹ April is the last of those months, and the closer you get to its end, the quieter the beach becomes.

Not every boat runs to the colony that late. One operator sells its penguin colony navigation from October to March only.³ Before you book an April date, check that your tour still lists departures for that week, and read its cancellation terms. The tour on this site offers free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, which helps when you are unsure.

April has its own appeal, too. The channel is calmer after the summer crowds, the light is lower and warmer, and the forests on the shore start to turn. If you go with the right expectations, a late-season trip is still a lovely day on the water, with the lighthouse, the sea lions and whatever penguins remain on the beach.

The penguin year

A year at the Martillo colony

Early September

Adults arrive

Magellanic penguins return to their breeding grounds.⁵
Late October

Eggs

Two eggs per nest, incubated for 40 to 42 days.⁵ ⁶
December

Chicks

The beach is full of feeding adults and growing young.
January to early March

Young fledge

Fledglings take to the water at 40 to 70 days old.²
March

Molt

Adults stay ashore to replace their feathers.⁷
April

Last month

The tail end of the October to April window.¹

How the penguin year on Martillo works

Magellanic penguins, by far the main species at Martillo, spend much of the year at sea.⁸ Adults arrive at their breeding grounds in early September and lay two eggs in late October.⁵ From that moment the beach becomes a nursery, with pairs taking turns at the burrow while the other goes fishing.

Incubation lasts 40 to 42 days, and the first chicks hatch as spring turns to summer.⁶ The young grow quickly and fledge at 40 to 70 days old, typically from January to the beginning of March.² After that the adults stay ashore to molt, a process that begins in March and leaves them looking ragged for a few weeks.⁷

Once the molt is over, the birds head back to sea. Outside the breeding season Magellanic penguins may follow ocean currents north into warmer latitudes.⁹ The small group of Gentoo penguins on the island follows its own rhythm, but they share the same summer window, and both species are visible together between October and April.¹

Climate

Ushuaia weather, month by month

Hours without sunDays with precipitationSeason

Each month shows its sunless hours at mid-month beside the number of days with 1 mm of rain or more, from World Meteorological Organization at Ushuaia (1991 to 2020).⁴

Month by month

Penguin season and weather in Ushuaia

Month	Daylight (h)	Darkness (h)	High / low	Wet days	Penguins at Martillo
Jan	16.7	7.3	14 / 6 °C	9	yes
Feb	14.8	9.2	14 / 6 °C	8	yes
Mar	12.7	11.3	12 / 5 °C	8	yes
Apr	10.4	13.6	9 / 3 °C	9	yes, until April
May	8.4	15.6	7 / 2 °C	8	no
Jun	7.2	16.8	5 / 0 °C	9	no
Jul	7.7	16.3	5 / 0 °C	8	no
Aug	9.5	14.5	6 / 0 °C	9	no
Sep	11.8	12.2	8 / 1 °C	7	no
Oct	14.1	9.9	10 / 3 °C	7	yes, from October
Nov	16.2	7.8	12 / 3 °C	9	yes
Dec	17.3	6.7	13 / 5 °C	9	yes

Read across: daylight hours mid-month, mean high, mean low, and wet days of 1 mm upward. World Meteorological Organization normals, 1991 to 2020.⁴ Season according to Ushuaia tourism office.¹

Three parts of the season

Early, peak or late season?

Nests and eggs

Early season

October and November

Penguins: Arriving and nesting
Weather: Cool, changeable
Boats: Season starts

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Busiest beach

Peak season

December to February

Penguins: Chicks and fledglings
Weather: Warmest months
Boats: Book ahead

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Molt and goodbye

Late season

March and April

Penguins: Molting, then leaving
Weather: Cooling down
Boats: Fewer departures

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Decision helper

Which month suits your trip?

Pick what matters most to you

As many penguins as possible Penguin chicks Quieter boats and soft light Long days for more activities Only free in April

December to February

The young fledge from January to early March.²

December and January

Eggs laid in late October hatch after 40 to 42 days.⁵ ⁶

October or April

The two ends of the October to April window.¹

December

The sun is up for 17.3 hours at mid-month.⁴

Go early in the month

April is the last month of the season.¹

Between October and April, it's possible to see two species of penguins that come to spend their reproductive period on this island in the channel: the Magellanic penguin and the Gentoo penguin, albeit in smaller numbers.

Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de UshuaiaSource 1

October and November: arrivals and eggs

The season opens in October. The tourism office counts it as the first month of the penguin window, and penguin boats start running to the colony again.¹ ³ This is the time of couples and nest building: birds return to their old burrows, call to their partners and repair the nests that winter has damaged.

With eggs laid in late October, November is a quiet month to watch, with one adult often sitting at the burrow while the other is at sea.⁵ The beach is calmer than in high summer, and the scene has a peaceful, expectant feel. It is a good time for travelers who prefer fewer boats and do not mind a cooler day.

Spring weather in Ushuaia is changeable. An average October day peaks at 10.1 °C, and the nights stay cold.⁴ Daylight grows fast: in mid-November the sun is above the horizon for 16.2 hours.⁴ Dress in layers and take a windproof jacket, because the deck of a moving boat always feels colder than the town.

Checklist

Packing for any month on the channel

Clothing

Warm layers, even in summer
A windproof and waterproof jacket
Hat and gloves for the deck

Planning

Book the boat early in your stay
Keep a reserve day for wind
Sunglasses and sunscreen for bright spells

Video

What to do in Ushuaia - Cerro Medio Hike & Walking with Penguins on Martillo Island

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December to February: chicks and the busiest beach

High summer is when Martillo is at its liveliest. The chicks have hatched, the adults commute constantly between the burrows and the water, and from January the young begin to fledge.² There are penguins on the beach, penguins in the shallows and penguins walking up the slope, and the noise of the colony carries far over the water.

This is also the warmest and brightest part of the year. An average January day reaches 13.6 °C, and the sun is above the horizon for 16.7 hours in mid-January.⁴ In December the days are even longer, with 17.3 hours of daylight at mid-month.⁴ Long evenings make it easy to combine a morning boat trip with a hike or a second outing later in the day.

Book your penguin trip well ahead for these months, especially if you want a particular departure time or the walking tour, which runs under a single concession.¹⁰ From the water the colony is a spectacle at any time of day, and the boats leave you time to watch the comings and goings at the shoreline.

March and April: molting and the end of the season

By March most of the young have left, and the adults settle in for the molt that begins that month.⁷ Molting penguins stand still for long periods and look scruffy, with old feathers falling out in patches. It is a less busy scene than in summer, but an interesting one, and the birds are easy to photograph.

April is the last month in the window the tourism office gives.¹ As the molt ends, the birds leave the island one by one, and the colony thins out through the month. If you visit at this time, you are likely to see fewer penguins than in summer, but the boat trip still includes the Beagle Channel, Les Eclaireurs lighthouse and the wildlife islands on the way.

The weather cools noticeably. An average April day peaks at 9.4 °C, with 10.4 hours of daylight in the middle of the month.⁴ Shorter days mean the morning departure is the one to take. If April is your only window, book early in the month rather than late, and keep a reserve day in case wind closes the port.

Planning around weather and daylight

Ushuaia's weather is cool all year and can change within an hour. Even in the warmest month, January, the average daily low is only 5.9 °C.⁴ On the water the wind makes it feel colder still. Whatever the month, pack a warm layer, a jacket that keeps out wind and rain, gloves and a warm hat, plus sunglasses and sunscreen for bright spells.

Rain is spread through the year rather than concentrated in a wet season. January brings 45 mm of precipitation and April 47 mm on average.⁴ What matters more for a boat trip is the wind: on this site's tour the trip can be cancelled for bad weather or a port closure, and you are then offered a new date or a full refund.

The simplest rule is to plan your penguin trip early in your stay. If the boat cannot sail on the first day, you still have time for another attempt. In the core months from December to February you will see the colony at its fullest; in October and April you trade some penguins for quieter boats and a softer light.

Book your trip

The penguins of Martillo are waiting on the channel.

Hold a seat today and settle the bill later; changing your mind costs nothing until a day before you sail.

Check datesfrom $115 · cancellation is free 4.5 · 553 genuine reviews

You ask,we answer.

When is penguin season in Ushuaia?

From October to April. That is when the penguins come to Martillo Island to breed.¹

Can I see penguins in Ushuaia in April?

Yes, at the end of the season. April is the last month of the window, and the colony thins out through the month.¹

When are there chicks?

From late spring into summer. Eggs are laid in late October and incubated for 40 to 42 days.⁵ ⁶

When do the young leave?

From January to early March. Young Magellanic penguins fledge at 40 to 70 days old.²

Are there penguins in winter?

Not at the colony. Outside the breeding season Magellanic penguins may follow ocean currents north.⁹

How cold is it in April?

Cool, around 9 °C by day. An average April day peaks at 9.4 °C.⁴

What if the weather is bad on my day?

The trip may be cancelled. On this site's tour you are then offered a new date or a full refund.

Sources

Sources and evidence

1
Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de UshuaiaNavegación a la pingüinera
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2
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySpheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic penguin)
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3
Secretaría de Turismo, Municipalidad de UshuaiaTerramar
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4
World Meteorological OrganizationClimate normals, Station Ushuaia (WMO 87938), 1991 to 2020
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5
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySpheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic penguin)
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6
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySpheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic penguin)
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7
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySpheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic penguin)
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8
Estancia HarbertonActivities
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9
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySpheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic penguin)
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10
Estancia HarbertonActivities
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