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Visit a Chilean penguin colony

Penguins

Mingle with everyone’s favourite bird at the Isla Magdalena rookery on the Strait of Magellan.

Down in the southernmost reaches of South America where the landmass starts to quickly disintegrate into a tangle of islands, the Strait of Magellan weaves right from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Departing from Punta Arenas on a 2-hour boat journey, you’ll begin tracing the same route as the great explorers who made this place synonymous with seafaring adventure.

Lying adrift in the Strait of Magellan, the Isla Magdalena is a breeding ground for several species of seabird, most notably the loveable penguin. You can walk among a chattering crowd of these comical birds, whose activities vary by the seasons – visit in September or October and you’ll see the monogamous pairs reunite after a long summer at sea, while January brings baby penguins making their first attempts at swimming.

For those short of time, a visit to the Seno Otway penguin colony on the way to Torres del Paine would be a quicker alternative.

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Finn Clennett
    Finn Clennett - Travel Expert

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

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