Isla Magdalena sits about 35 km northeast of Punta Arenas.
CONAF’s official page says Los Pingüinos Natural Monument consists of Magdalena and Marta islands, covering about 97 hectares. Magdalena is the main landing site, with a lighthouse, trails, management facilities, and large numbers of Magellanic penguins, Spheniscus magellanicus.
For country context, read penguins in Chile. This is one of the easiest wild penguin islands for travelers to add near Chile’s far southern city routes.
How to get there
Most visitors take a tourist boat from Punta Arenas. Sea conditions are the key variable; the Strait of Magellan is windy, and trips can be rescheduled or cancelled.
CONAF’s 2026 page says the protected area is closed from April 1 to September 30. The visitor season is concentrated in the Southern Hemisphere summer, roughly October to mid-April, but actual dates depend on official and boat-operator announcements.
There is no lodging, food service, electricity, or telecom service on the island. The official reminders are also direct: do not bring pets, do not make fires, and do not leave trash.
Which penguin you see
The main species is the Magellanic penguin. They breed along the southern coasts and islands of South America, often digging burrows or using spaces under vegetation.
English Wikipedia and CONAF-related material often cite figures of 60,000 pairs or more than 60,000 birds; numbers shift with year and counting method. For travelers, the point is not to read “many” as “stable and fine.” Magellanic penguins are still listed as LC by IUCN, but oiling, fisheries, climate, and tourism pressure can all affect local colonies.
How viewing works on the island
Visitors usually move along fixed trails. Penguins may stop beside the path, cross it, or return to burrows, sometimes very close. But people cannot chase them or crouch off the route.
That kind of route may look restrictive, but it is the central protection for island tourism. Once people spread out, burrows, vegetation, and parent-bird pathways are all disrupted. Magdalena’s advantage is that its route is clear, so managers can keep people concentrated in areas the island can absorb.
If you later continue toward Argentina, compare it with Punta Tombo. Both are Magellanic penguin sites, but one is a strait island and the other is a mainland Patagonian coast. Their trail scale and viewing rhythm feel different.
References
- CONAF, Monumento Natural Los Pingüinos.
- Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, Wikipedia.
- Bingham & Herrmann, Magdalena Island Magellanic penguin monitoring.
FAQ
Where do Magdalena Island penguin tours depart from?
Most visitors take a tourist boat from Punta Arenas. The island sits about 35 km northeast of the city, and wind and sea conditions can change or cancel trips.
Which penguin species lives on Magdalena Island?
The main species is the Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus, which digs burrows or uses spaces under vegetation on the island.
When is Magdalena Island closed?
CONAF's 2026 page says the protected area is closed from April 1 to September 30. The visitor season is concentrated in Southern Hemisphere summer, but exact dates depend on official and boat-operator notices.
