Isla Martillo tours: choose the visiting format
Isla Martillo tours connect Ushuaia with the penguin island opposite Estancia Harberton in Argentina's Beagle Channel. The clearest way to choose is to decide whether you want observation from the water or a guided landing on Martillo itself. Catamarans and small boats both offer observation trips, while a walk requires a product that specifically includes the island visit on foot.
A penguin tour from Ushuaia can also combine road and water transport, often through Puerto Almanza or Harberton. Compare the entire excursion rather than treating the time beside the colony as the whole day. If your priority is walking on Martillo, use the guided penguin walk page. For water-based observation, the penguin boat trip guide keeps the focus on sailing and mainland transfers.
Choose your Martillo excursion
The guided Martillo walk includes Harberton admission and port tax. For watching from the water, choose a cruise or a trip via Puerto Almanza; the yacht trip also includes a walk on Bridge Island.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Martillo walk and channel cruise
- 1-hour walking tour with penguins
- Harberton Ranch entry
- Local port tax
The trip includes a bilingual guide, return transport to Harberton and the boat crossing to Martillo.
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Channel yacht and Martillo zodiac trip
- Walk on Bridge Island
- Land transfers to Puerto Almanza
- Bilingual guide
Penguins are observed from the zodiac without landing on Martillo. The tour is not recommended during pregnancy or for people with limited mobility.
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Martillo wildlife watching via Puerto Almanza
- Roundtrip by van
- Bilingual guide
- 30-minute wildlife watching
A snack is included. Disembarkation on Martillo is not included.
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Martillo colony by van and boat
- Van transport
- Boat tour in Beagle Channel
- Observation of penguin colonies
A guide accompanies the trip. A Martillo landing is not listed among the included services.
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Guided wildlife cruise to Martillo
- Guided tour
- Sightseeing cruise
- Opportunity to see local wildlife
The colony is viewed from the boat, without a Martillo landing. Port tax is extra.
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Penguin colony cruise from Ushuaia
- Ferry tour
- Guide
View the colony from the boat; there is no Martillo landing.
Check availability →Compare Martillo excursions by what they include
Choose a pier-based catamaran, an observation outing via Puerto Almanza or a combination with an explicit guided island walk and included admission.
Catamaran observation from Ushuaia
The five-and-a-half-hour catamaran trip starts at the tourist pier and includes the boat tour and guide. You arrange the journey to the port yourself, and food and drinks are extra. Penguins are watched from the boat. This is a straightforward choice when you want the sailing experience and do not need a guided walk on Martillo.
The five-hour wildlife cruise includes a guided sightseeing cruise and channel and mountain views, with observation from the water. Hotel transfers, meals, drinks and port tax are excluded. Although both outings use catamarans, compare their own inclusions rather than transferring the fee arrangements of one to the other. The trip price and the amount still payable locally are separate parts of your budget.
A guided Martillo landing with admission included
The nine-and-a-half-hour cruise and penguin walk combination includes a one-hour guided walk on Martillo, the return boat crossing from Harberton and return transport between the Ushuaia tourist port and the estancia. Beagle Channel navigation and an English- and Spanish-speaking guide are also included. The start is at the tourist port, so plan your route there from your accommodation.
Harberton admission and the local port tax are included in this combination; food, drinks and tips are extra. It is useful when you want a walk and prefer those two entry-related costs included in the excursion. Museum access should be treated separately from the promised island walk. Read about the mainland estate on the Estancia Harberton page rather than building a museum visit into every landing itinerary.
Small boats and mainland combinations
The four-hour observation trip via Puerto Almanza includes a guide, van transport, a Beagle Channel boat outing and penguin watching at Martillo. Hotel pickup, food and drinks are excluded. It starts at the waterfront meeting point on Avenida Prefectura Naval Argentina. This is a road-and-boat format for watching the colony without a Martillo landing.
The four-and-a-half-hour responsible observation outing includes return van transport, around 30 minutes watching wildlife at Martillo, a bilingual guide and a snack. Its meeting point is on Avenida San Martín in Ushuaia. Hotel pickup and disembarkation on Martillo are excluded. The stated length covers the excursion as a whole; the observation portion is a smaller part of that time.
The nine-hour yacht-and-Zodiac combination adds channel navigation, wildlife watching, a walk on Bridges Island and land transfers to Puerto Almanza before penguin observation by Zodiac at Martillo. It includes a bilingual guide and a coffee-and-alfajor snack. The Bridges walk is on a different island. Hotel transfers and lunch are excluded, with departure at the tourist pier; this outing is not recommended for pregnant travellers or people with limited mobility.
Beagle Channel
A route may include channel scenery, bird and sea lion watching or a lighthouse visit along with the penguin destination. These elements explain why two excursions with Martillo in the itinerary can have different lengths and transport arrangements. For the wider waterway, use the Beagle Channel guide. Here the booking decision remains the Martillo visiting format and the journey needed to reach it.
Match the meeting point to the rest of your day
Keep airport arrival, travel to the meeting point and the excursion itself as separate stages. A van included from a fixed town address is not collection from your hotel. Equally, driving to Harberton on RN3 and Ruta J reaches the mainland departure area rather than the island. The arrival guide helps organise those stages without relying on an assumed connection.
Before booking, establish the departure address and return arrangements, the exact island named for any walk, and whether admission and port tax are included. For a landing, discuss uneven ground and boarding by ladder or plank if either could affect your participation. Choose your mainland accommodation base with that departure address in mind instead of assuming every tour shares the same pickup route.
Seasons, weather and wildlife
The general Magellanic penguin season runs from early October to April, with the greatest numbers from November to February. This is an observation season, not a promise of every departure or of seeing a particular species. A separate winter gentoo programme has its own calendar. Use the season and weather guide to match the birds' seasonal presence with a bookable excursion.
Wind and fast weather changes can lead to route changes or cancellation. Allow some flexibility around the excursion and pack waterproof shoes, a waterproof jacket, a hat and gloves. Watch quietly and keep your distance from wildlife. Do not crowd, touch or feed penguins, and keep rubbish out of the water. The guide's directions take priority over trying to position a camera closer to an animal.
Tour booking questions
How do I choose between a catamaran and a walk?
Choose the catamaran for observation from the water and the sailing journey. Choose a product with an explicitly included Martillo walk if being on the island is central to your visit. A walk on Bridges Island is a separate activity.
Which combination includes Harberton admission and port tax?
The nine-and-a-half-hour cruise and one-hour Martillo walk combination includes both. Its food and drinks are extra. The five-hour wildlife cruise instead excludes port tax, along with hotel transfers and meals.
Does the road-and-boat format mean hotel pickup?
Use the listed departure address: the Puerto Almanza observation options described here use fixed meeting points. Their included road transport begins with the excursion rather than at your accommodation.