Beagle Channel Cruises: The 10 Best Sailings from Ushuaia

1.Beagle Channel & Sea Wolves Island Catamaran Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 433 reviews · 2h 30m · from $115Our pick

Board a heated, wheelchair-accessible catamaran in Ushuaia for a 150-minute bilingual cruise through the Beagle Channel. You will see seabirds, sea lions, cormorants, the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Yamana shell deposits at Puerto Karelo, with a short guided walk ashore.

“Very nice tour and everything was good organised ! The boat is comfortable, guides speaks spanish and english. We saw a lot of birds and sea lions !”

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2.Beagle Channel and Penguin Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 318 reviews · 5 hours · from $178

Sail for about five hours from Ushuaia through the Beagle Channel, stopping near Bird Island, Sea Lions Island, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Martillo Island. Guides speak English and Spanish, and guide David has been praised for clear explanations. Penguins stay onshore, but the boat gets close for photos.

“Great trip and a bucket list must do. We had an additional sighting of a Humpback Whale so extra bonus. No issues at all”

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3.National Park, Train, and Beagle Channel Navigation

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 182 reviews · 510 minutes - 12 hours · from $190

Spend up to 12 hours combining Tierra del Fuego National Park, the End of the World Train, and a Beagle Channel cruise. Guides such as Martina and Jacqueline lead the land portion, while the boat trip brings seabirds, sea lions, possible penguins and whales, plus Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse.

“Amazing day. We started with a tour to the national park. Martina, our guide, was at all times welcoming, warm, helpful, and explained everything beautifully at all times. The second part of the tour - the end of the world train was also an amazing experience with beautiful scenery. The last part of the tour - the Beagle Channel boat was stunning. It was definitely worth it taking the longer version of the tour. We saw beautiful scenery and stunning wildlife.”

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4.Catamaran Tour through the Beagle Channel and Penguins in Isla Martillo

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 124 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $240

Board a large catamaran at Ushuaia’s tourist port for a 5 to 6 hour Beagle Channel cruise. A bilingual guide covers wildlife and local history while you view sea lions, seabirds, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Magellanic and Gentoo penguins from the boat, with no island landing.

“It's exactly like described. The crew was highly competent and friendly. The tour departed and came back as planned.”

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5.Martillo Island: Boat Trip to the Penguin Colony & Beagle Channel

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 108 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $177

Spend about five hours on a catamaran from Ushuaia, cruising the Beagle Channel past sea lions, cormorants, mountains, and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse before viewing Magellanic penguins at Martillo Island. You stay aboard the boat, so bring warm layers and a camera with zoom.

“This was a really good tour and my partner and I really enjoyed the tour. The people were super friendly and there is plenty of time to see all the islands, the nice scenery and the penguins. I would definitely recommend this tour to everyone.Now, I booked this tour through viator, that they use Tangol and then Tangol is using the local company Catamaranes Canoeros. Catamaranes Canoeros have a facebook channel and they sell this tour for $2360 Argentinian Dollars (equivalent of £49 pounds) as of the beginning of 2019. So if you book from here, you pay £20 more and when I tried to get the lower price guarantee…”

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6.Beagle Channel Boat Tour and Penguin Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 86 reviews · 9h 30m · from $449

Spend a full day from Ushuaia combining a Beagle Channel catamaran cruise with a guided walk among Magellanic and Gentoo penguins on Martillo Island. English and Spanish guides, including experienced naturalists such as Fabricio, lead the outing. The order depends on availability.

“The tour guides are so professional and the penguins are so cute ! The tour worths the money!”

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7.Navigate through the Beagle Channel: Seal, Bird & Penguin Islands

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 84 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $158

Join a bilingual Spanish-English crew aboard a heated catamaran from Ushuaia. Cruise past sea lion and bird colonies, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Gable Island, and the Chilean coast before watching Magellanic penguins from the boat at Martillo Island.

“The boat circled POI well and theOA kept us up to date, not always clear out on deck. The photographers were discreet but handy.”

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8.Beagle Channel, Seal Island & Bridges Islands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 75 reviews · from $88Best value

Join a three-hour catamaran cruise from Ushuaia with a live Spanish or English guide and audio guide. You’ll see sea lions, cormorants, Black-browed Albatross, and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, with a gentle shore walk on Karelo Island if weather allows.

“We enjoy the trip and there is a disembarkment on the shore that we can have a look from the small island.”

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9.Navigation to Beagle Channel and Sea Lions Island with Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 63 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $118

Board a catamaran in Ushuaia for roughly three hours on the Beagle Channel. Expect sea lions, fur seals, cormorants, Bird Island, Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse, mountain views, and commentary on Ushuaia’s prison past. Hotel transfers are included, but food, drinks, and the boarding fee are extra.

“I feel the tour name match sea lion island not sea wolves island. The tour time had changed 1 and half hour earlier without previous announce by email. I knew it when I arrived and checked in the hotel. I hope the change of tour time will be told more earlier.”

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10.Full-Day Gable Island Eco-Adventure in the Beagle Channel

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $340Top rated

Spend about 10 hours exploring the eastern Beagle Channel with Canal Fun & Nature. Paddle in a large group kayak, hike Gable Island, eat a fresh lunch cooked on site, and visit penguins on Martillo Island. Hotel pickup, equipment, drinks, and a maximum of 20 people are included.

“A whole day of amazing experience, with multiple activities. The scenery views, the canal, and the penguins were an awesome experience.”

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