The Beagle Channel Ushuaia is a unique feature in the far south of Argentina that can be visited from the town of Ushuaia. The channel is a famous strait in the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago that connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. There are small islands that fall within this channel and is a haven for local wildlife. Tour groups will help you get on the Beagle Channel and experience that wildlife for yourself.
Beagle Channel Ushuaia Tour Options
If you want to do a tour in the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia, there are three different tour options available to you. Which one you choose will depend on the length of time you have available to you and what you want to see when you are in Ushuaia. The tours also range in time spent on the water, which could greatly impact your experience if you do not do well with boats.
Visiting the Penguinera by Boat
Trip Length: 6 Hours
Your first option will be to visit a small island with a large penguin colony on it. These penguins are Magellanic penguins and use this island yearly for breeding. In addition, you may get the opportunity to walk among the penguins if you select a tour with this option. On this tour you get to see these penguins, one of the southernmost lighthouses, an island with sea lions and unique birds, and islands with unique fauna. For this option, you will be doing the round trip by boat. Avoid this tour if you easily get seasick as weather conditions change rapidly in the channel.
Visiting the Penguinera by Bus
Trip Length: 9 Hours
This option is very similar to the first option, but one leg of your trip will be by bus, either to the penguin island or returning from it. While your time on the boat is half of the first option, it is still a lengthy time period because you will also visit a local estancia. Here, you will learn about the local native populations and later ranchers who populated the land.
The Lobos Tour
Trip Length: 4 Hours
The final option excludes the visit to the penguin island. It only includes the lighthouse, the island with sealions and birds, and a short walk on an island in the channel. For this option, the entire trip is done by boat, but it is the shortest of the options. If you have had the chance to visit other penguin breeding areas in the world, this might be the best option for you. Another penguin colony that you may consider visiting while in Argentina is in Punta Tombo in Atlantic Patagonia. You can read about that experience here.
Beagle Channel Ushuaia Boat Options
There are three different boat options for your excursion. Each boat does each of the tour options so it really is a personal preference on your comfort level and how intimate you want to get with the wildlife in the area. It’s also important to consider the weather that you may face when booking your boat excursion. The boats are discussed below from largest to smallest.
Large Catamaran
These large vessels are great for people who may be more susceptible to being seasick. These large boats hold many people. As a result, you may not be able to get an intimate experience with the animals. You will not be able to get as close to landmasses as other boats.
Midsize Yachts
These aren’t the luxury vehicles you might be thinking of when you hear the word yacht. They fit up to 30 people and, as a result, allow for a more intimate experience. They are still able to battle the windy weather you might face in the channel. These boats allow you to get relatively close to the islands and will even be able to dock so you can walk on some islands. This is a great option for those who want an intimate experience without being too close to the water.
Smaller Boats
This will be the most intimate and expensive option in the channel. These boats fit from 8-16 people and are more of an adventurous option. With these boats, you will get right onto the shore of the penguin island and as close as possible to some other locations. Because they are small, they might be the rockiest option, especially with some windy conditions that are common to the channel.
How to Book the Beagle Channel Ushuaia Boat Tours
If you are looking to do the tour that Blueprint Travelers recommends in a mid-size boat without visiting the penguins, then you can reserve your experience here. While you can book other tours prior to your arrival online, there is an option to book your boat upon arrival in Ushuaia, especially if you have a few days in town to be flexible with your tour date. Visiting the tour companies in-person will allow you to further evaluate every option prior to booking and make plans based on the incredibly fickle weather in Ushuaia. The Beagle Channel Ushuaia tour companies track the weather closely and can tell you the best day and time to take the tour, with the smallest chance of cancelation.
There is one area (located here) where all the different companies have kiosks that show you their offerings and options. Go directly to these kiosks to learn about their availability and pricing. They are open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. We booked our tour three days early during the summer season and there was availability with every tour group.
The Beagle Channel Ushuaia Tour Experience
The Blueprint Travelers were able to tour the Beagle Channel with Patagonia Explorer. They provide the Lobos tour on two yachts twice a day, once at 10 am and once at 3 pm. (The weather may be more predictable in the morning so if reserving in advance, consider choosing the morning option.)
You will arrive to the docks 30 minutes prior to the tour start time and will be split into the appropriate groups. The tour is led by a guide and has a captain and a deck hand to help with the boat operations. During our tour they masterfully navigated through the Beagle Channel Ushuaia even as the weather unexpectedly deteriorated when out at the lighthouse. Throughout the tour our guide interspersed knowledge about what we were seeing with the history of the region. You will learn about the flora and fauna that you are observing and how the native populations interacted with the land prior to the arrival of European settlers.
The first destination your boat will arrive at is an island inhabited by sea lions and cormorants (not penguins) that can both swim and fly.
The next stop is the iconic lighthouse (Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse) of the Beagle Channel Ushuaia (often misstated to be the southernmost lighthouse in the world).
After this stop, the team will set up coffee and hot chocolate for you to enjoy while the boat navigates to the final island for a small hike. When the weather gets incredibly windy and the water is choppy, the captains on board have the experience of sailing around the most challenging waters in the world and can safely get you to Bridges Island with no issues.
On Bridges Island, your guide will lead you to the peak where you will have incredible views of the mountains surrounding you, smell the beautiful combination of mountain and sea air, and feel the power of the wind in this part of the world.
Finally, you will get back on the boat to return to the dock. Blueprint Travelers highly recommend this experience, especially with Patagonia Adventure Explorer.
