Why book this sailing
Why book this sailing
This is a sail-past, not a landing
Say it plainly, because the reviews for this route do: the catamaran slows off Isla Martillo and you watch the colony through the wind from the deck — you do not walk among the penguins. The listing that lands, with its own permit and an inflatable-boat crossing, is a different product at roughly four times the price. Book this one knowing exactly what it is.
Four stops on one short crossing
In one outing you get a South American sea lion haul-out on bare rock, an imperial cormorant colony working a cliff face, a lighthouse most visitors misidentify, and — in season — the sail past the penguins. It is a wide slice of Beagle Channel wildlife for a half-day out of Ushuaia.
The lighthouse everyone gets wrong
Les Éclaireurs is routinely called the lighthouse that inspired Jules Verne's 'The Lighthouse at the End of the World.' It didn't — Verne's model was a different lighthouse, further east on Isla de los Estados. Knowing the real story is worth more than the myth once you're looking at the actual tower.
Wind and season decide what you actually see
The Beagle Channel is exposed water at the bottom of the continent, and this is an open-deck sailing at close to 55° south. What you see — and how comfortable you are seeing it — depends on the day's wind and, for the penguins specifically, the month. This site is built to tell you both before you book.
The naturalist's plate
Five things worth knowing from the deck
A naturalist's plate of what the sailing actually puts in front of you, roughly in the order the boat reaches it — what it is, when you reach it, and what you can make out from a moving catamaran rather than from a wildlife documentary.
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South American sea lionOtaria flavescens
A haul-out of dozens of animals on bare rock — big males rearing up over the group, pups tucked at the edges, the smell reaching the boat before the noise does.
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Imperial cormorantLeucocarbo atriceps
A cliff face gone white and black with nests, imperial and Magellanic cormorants packed shoulder to shoulder, kelp gulls and skuas working the edges of the colony.
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Les Éclaireursbuilt 1920
An 11-metre red-and-white brick tower on a bare rock, close enough from the deck to read the paint bands — not the lighthouse Jules Verne actually wrote about, whatever the postcards say.
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Magellanic penguinSpheniscus magellanicus
Burrow-nesting birds scattered across the pebble ground in loose groups, braying calls carrying out over the water — the more numerous of Martillo's two species.
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Gentoo penguinPygoscelis papua
The smaller, tighter colony among the Magellanics — orange bills, white eye-patches, South America's only breeding population of the species, seen at a distance rather than underfoot.
Plainly stated: the catamaran does not beach or anchor at Isla Martillo, so this is a view from open water, not a close-up. Expect to make out shapes, colonies and behaviour clearly with the naked eye and easily with binoculars — not the single-bird detail you get on the landing tour, which puts a guide and a small group actually walking the shoreline.
Ushuaia, and getting to the pier
Ushuaia, and getting to the pier
The sailing leaves from the Muelle Turístico, the Tourist Pier on Ushuaia's own waterfront — inside the town, not a transfer away.
Where it leaves from
Boats depart the Muelle Turístico on Av. Prefectura Naval Argentina, reached along the waterfront Av. Maipú from the town centre. Most downtown Ushuaia hotels are a five-to-ten-minute walk away.
Arrive before your time, not at it
Plan to be at the pier about 30 minutes ahead of departure. Ticket counters line the Muelle Turístico and operators check in passengers there rather than at a separate office.
No transfer is included on this listing
This is a walk-to-the-pier booking, not a hotel-pickup one. If your accommodation is further out, budget a taxi or the short walk in from the centre with enough margin for the 30-minute check-in.
What Ushuaia is, beyond the pier
Ushuaia markets itself as the city at the end of the world, and the harbourfront view — channel, mountains, the working port — makes the case before you've even boarded. The sailing is a half-day; the rest of your Ushuaia time is your own.
The channel, in pictures
The channel, in pictures
Real photographs of the Beagle Channel and its wildlife — the sea lion colony, Les Éclaireurs, and Magellanic and gentoo penguins photographed in Tierra del Fuego. Not confirmed photographs of this specific sailing, its own catamaran, or its own passengers.
Booking options & what's included
Booking options & what's included
| Option | What it includes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| This catamaran sailing | Sea lions, cormorants, Les Éclaireurs lighthouse and a sail-past of the Isla Martillo penguin colony, about 5.5 hours round trip | The listing this site is built around — no landing on Martillo |
| Isla Martillo full-day walk | The same morning stops by boat, then a short inflatable-boat crossing and roughly an hour walking among the colony with a naturalist guide | A separate GetYourGuide listing with its own landing permit, at roughly four times the price — a different day, not an add-on at checkout |
| A different operator's sail-past | Another catamaran company running a similar route to the same four stops, with the same no-landing rule on Martillo | Exact departure times and stop order vary by boat — check both listings before you pick a time |
| Pair it with the national park | Tierra del Fuego National Park, booked as a separate GetYourGuide experience | The park sits on the opposite side of Ushuaia from the harbour, so give it its own morning or afternoon |
Ways to book the sailing
Find a sailing for your dates
Every option below is booked through GetYourGuide, with live availability and the final price in your own currency.
Planning your sailing
Planning your sailing
Dress for open water at 55° south, not for the town
Ushuaia's summer air can sit anywhere from about 5°C to 15°C, and the wind on an open deck cuts that further. Layers, a windproof and waterproof outer shell, a hat and gloves are standard advice even in January — pack as if the forecast is wrong, because on the channel it often is.
Book the season you actually want
The penguins are the headline for most bookings, and they are only there roughly October to April, with the colony fullest November through February. Outside that window this becomes a sea lion, cormorant and lighthouse sailing with very few penguins on Martillo — still worth doing, but know which trip you're buying.
Free cancellation covers the weather
The listing offers free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, and the operator's own policy allows a full refund if the sailing is cancelled for weather or port closure, or if the Isla Martillo or Les Éclaireurs stop specifically can't be completed. Book ahead for the date you want and let the flexibility absorb the risk.
Bring binoculars if you have them
This is a sail-past, not a landing — the boat does not beach at Isla Martillo, so the penguins are seen at a working distance rather than close up. A compact pair of binoculars turns a blurred shoreline into a proper look at the colony.
Planning a Beagle Channel sailing from Ushuaia
Planning a Beagle Channel sailing from Ushuaia
The Beagle Channel sailing: what happens, stop by stop
Sea lions, cormorants, a lighthouse, and a sail past the penguins — the shape of a roughly 5.5-hour crossing, in the order the boat actually reaches it.
Read more →Two very different ticketsSail-past or landing: which Isla Martillo ticket do you actually want?
One ticket shows you the penguin colony from a moving boat. The other puts you on the beach with a guide for an hour. They are not the same product, and mixing them up is how a booking turns into a one-star review.
Read more →What you'll actually seeThe wildlife on the Beagle Channel, and the season that governs it
Sea lions and cormorants year-round, penguins only for part of the year — what's reliably on this sailing, and what depends on when you book.
Read more →The lighthouse, explainedLes Éclaireurs and the wrecks of the Beagle Channel
An 11-metre brick tower, a myth about a French novelist, and the 1930 wreck of an ocean liner that put 1,500 people into lifeboats a few miles from where this boat sails.
Read more →Packing for the channelWhat to wear on an open deck at 55° south
Ushuaia's summer air is milder than the reputation suggests — the wind on the water is the part that actually catches people out.
Read more →Around UshuaiaUshuaia and the end of the world: building the rest of your stay
The sailing takes half a day. Here is how it fits alongside the rest of what draws visitors to the southernmost city in the world.
Read more →FAQ
Beagle Channel sailing questions
Do I actually get off the boat and walk among the penguins?
No. This catamaran sails past Isla Martillo and you watch the colony from the deck; there is no landing on this ticket. The tour that lands — a 15-minute inflatable-boat crossing and roughly an hour walking among the birds with a naturalist guide — is a separate GetYourGuide listing with its own permit, at roughly four times the price.
When can I actually see penguins on this sailing?
Isla Martillo's colony is seasonal, roughly October to April, with numbers highest from November through February. Outside that window most of the colony has migrated north and only a small number of birds remain on the island, so a sailing booked in the southern winter should be thought of as a sea lion, cormorant and lighthouse trip rather than a penguin one.
What's the difference between this ticket and the full-day Isla Martillo walking tour?
This one is a roughly 5.5-hour sailing that passes four stops, including a sail-past of the penguin colony, without landing anywhere. The full-day tour repeats the morning boat stops, then adds an inflatable-boat crossing to Isla Martillo and about an hour walking through the colony with a guide, finishing well into the evening — a longer day, a separate permit, and roughly four times the price.
What else do I see besides the penguins?
A South American sea lion colony on Isla de los Lobos, an imperial and Magellanic cormorant colony on Isla de los Pájaros, and the Les Éclaireurs lighthouse — all included regardless of penguin season, and worth the sailing on their own.
Where does the boat leave from, and how do I get there?
From the Muelle Turístico (Tourist Pier) on Av. Prefectura Naval Argentina, reached along the waterfront Av. Maipú from central Ushuaia — a five-to-ten-minute walk from most downtown hotels. No hotel transfer is included on this listing, so plan your own way to the pier and arrive about 30 minutes before departure.
What should I wear?
Layers, with a windproof and waterproof outer shell, plus a warm hat and gloves. Ushuaia's summer air often sits between about 5°C and 15°C, and the wind on an open deck in the Beagle Channel cuts the felt temperature well below whatever the forecast says.
Can I cancel if the weather is bad?
The listing offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and the operator's own policy provides a full refund if the sailing is cancelled for weather or port closure, or if the Isla Martillo or Les Éclaireurs stop specifically cannot be completed. Booking ahead and letting that policy cover the risk is the standard approach.