Argentina · BEAGLE CHANNEL CRUISES
Sea lions, cormorants, the lighthouse and, on the longer sailings, a penguin colony. These 9 compare catamarans and small boats on price, hours at sea and whether you actually land anywhere.
Sail from Ushuaia Bay into the Beagle Channel on a comfortable, heated catamaran. You’ll see seabirds, two sea lion species, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Yamana shell deposits at Puerto Karelo, with a short guided walk and commentary in Spanish and English.
“Good value for the excursion. The scenery was beautiful”
Spend about five hours aboard a Catamaranes Canoeros boat from Ushuaia, cruising past Bird Island, Sea Lions Island, and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse before reaching Martillo Island. You watch Magellanic and Gentoo penguins from the deck, with bilingual guiding, snacks for sale, and possible whale sightings along the way.
“We had a fabulous time on the cruise. We were able to see all the animals from the boat. They gave us enough time to take pictures. I even dropped my glove in the channel and they fished it out for me. We really liked all the facts the guide was telling us. We also appreciate them taking pictures of us.”
Spend up to 12 hours combining Tierra del Fuego National Park, the End of the World Train, and a Beagle Channel cruise. You’ll see Lapataia Bay, Lake Roca, Ensenada Zaratiegui, bird colonies, sea lions, and Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse. Guides may speak English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Check that your booking includes the penguin route.
“Pretty good except there is no guide and tramdportation for thr boat ride where we took almost an hour to locate”
Cruise from Ushuaia through the Beagle Channel to Isla Martillo, viewing Magellanic and Gentoo penguins, sea lions, seabirds, and the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse from a comfortable catamaran. The 5 to 6-hour trip includes bilingual guidance, a café, restrooms, and outdoor viewing decks, but no island landing.
“The boat tour itself was great, but the directions about where and how to get your ticket were very confusing. On the website it says to click here for ticket, but then you get a message that “this is not a ticket!” When we got to the meeting place it was very busy with lots of cruise ship people and the rest of us. Did not know that we needed to go to one of the hurts to get our actual ticket for the boat. Thankfully, some very nice locals helped us and we JUST made the trip. Let me say again that was super! Loved the penguins!”
Set out from Ushuaia’s tourist port on a roughly five-hour catamaran trip through the Beagle Channel. See sea lions, cormorants, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Puerto Williams, and Martillo Island’s Magellanic penguins from the boat. A guide provides commentary, but you do not walk among the penguins. The boat holds up to 120 people.
“This was an amazing experience. Yes, there’s a lot of people on the boat, but you have your own space and there’s even a cafeteria on board where you can buy food. You stay on the boat to see the penguins, but you get very close to them. This was our favorite part of the Ushuaia trip!”
Spend about 9.5 hours combining a Beagle Channel catamaran cruise with a guided walk among wild Magellanic and Gentoo penguins on Martillo Island. English and Spanish guides, including praised leaders such as Fabricio and Agustina, explain the wildlife and Fuegian scenery. The order varies, and Harberton Ranch fees and port tax cost extra.
“Excellent and highly recommended. This tour is an experience of a lifetime. Our tour guys, Milko, Gerardo and Norbi…(apologies for misspelling) were amazing. Loved our day walking among penguins and learning about them. Thank you”
Cruise from Ushuaia with a local captain and bilingual guide through the Beagle Channel. See sea lions, cormorants, albatrosses, the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Chilean and Argentine shores, and Magellanic penguins from a heated catamaran. The 5.5-hour trip includes indoor seating, outdoor decks, bathrooms, and close wildlife viewing, but no hotel transfer or meals.
“Be sure you have arranged transport to the marina as hotel pickup isn't included. It was fantastic to be so close to the cormorants, sea lions and penguins...they put the catamaran right on the sand and the penguins were on the beach and swimming around the boat. We got lucky too and saw a pair of King penguins, not very common there. The estancia was interesting, though I thought it was a working one when I booked that part of the trip, but it's been a tourist destination since the 1990s when a big snow storm killed most of the areas sheep and that estancia decided to go all tourist.…”
From Ushuaia’s tourist pier, you’ll cruise the Beagle Channel by catamaran, stopping at Karelo Island when weather allows. Expect city views, Black-browed Albatross and cormorants at Bird Island, sea lions at Seal Island, and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. A live guide and audio guide are available in Spanish and English.
“We enjoy the trip and there is a disembarkment on the shore that we can have a look from the small island.”
Join a small catamaran cruise from Ushuaia for about four hours, including hotel transfers, Beagle Channel scenery, Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse, sea lions, cormorants, and Bird Island. The boat carries up to 40 people, with several departure times depending on the season. Bring binoculars and warm layers.
“My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this catamaran cruise in the Beagle Channel in late October 2016. It was short enough to not tie up the entire day, but long enough to give us a wonderful experience in the Channel. The views were spectacular. We loved our guide. He spoke both English and Spanish although we were the only English speakers on the trip. He made a point of speaking with us personally several time throughout the trip, sharing some personal experiences. We got very close to several islands and were able to watch the birds and sea wolves sea lions sitting on the rocks and swimming in the water.…”
Pick an evening, a glacier or a cellar.
