🌿 Nature
Puñihuil Penguin Islets
Small-boat trip round islets where Humboldt and Magellanic penguins nest together.
Typical duration
45 min
Price
Boat trip roughly $10,000–12,000 CLP (≈ €9.5–11 / $10–12)
From port
118 km / 73.3 mi
Transfer time
150 min
Indoor / Outdoor
outdoor
Queue risk
medium
🕐 Best time to visit
September to March, when the penguins are nesting; calm mornings
Off the Pacific coast of Chiloé, three rocky islets at Puñihuil are one of the few places where Humboldt and Magellanic penguins breed side by side. Local fishing families run the boat trips, pushing small launches off the beach for a 30-minute circuit close to the rocks; you may also see sea otters and cormorants. The penguins are there roughly from September to March. Boats only sail when the sea allows, and the drive from Puerto Montt takes about two and a half hours each way, so this really only works on the ship's own tour or a long call.
Getting there from the port
Ship's tour, or a private driver via the Chacao ferry and Ancud; the boats launch from Puñihuil beach.