The 6 Best Sailing Trips in Argentina

1.Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 439 reviews · 5 hours · from $180Our pick

Sail five hours from Ushuaia on a heated, wheelchair-accessible catamaran with Spanish and English guiding, audio options, and onboard snacks. You will circle Bird Island, Sea Lion Island, and Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse before reaching Martillo Island, where Magellanic and Gentoo penguins gather near the shore.

“Fun and well-organised excursion to see sea lions, cormorants and penguins from up close. We were very lucky and even saw a humpback whale. The only negative/annoying part of this journey were two ladies of the organising agency who took pictures of the passengers. We wanted to enjoy the beautiful animals and they were shouting for people to make room in order for them to take there pics which could then be bought. Very annoying. Otherwise everything was great (even the coffee on board!).”

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2.Catamaran Sailing to Penguin Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 436 reviews · 5h 30m · from $92Best value

Spend 330 minutes on a guided catamaran from Ushuaia, watching sea lions, cormorants, the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and Magellanic and Gentoo penguins at Martillo Island. Guides speak English and Spanish. You stay aboard throughout, with a café, bathrooms, and outdoor viewing decks.

“Good activity overall to see the sea lions and penguins. The boat gets really close to them so it’s perfect for pictures. The boat itself is clean, modern and spacious, with a café on board. There’s seating upstairs and downstairs which is comfortable, and outside space to view at the stops. Staff all super friendly. -Downside is the price was expensive for what it was. -There could have been another stop, maybe at a local fisherman’s village on the way back, as the way back was long. -Could not hear what the tour guide was saying over the microphone, sharing history etc with us. It seemed only one speaker out…”

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3.Beagle Channel & Sea Wolves Island Catamaran Cruise

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

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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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.Penguin Watching Tour by Catamaran

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 55 reviews · 5 hours · from $177

Sail from Ushuaia for five hours through the Beagle Channel, passing sea lions, cormorants, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, and the SS Monte Cervantes wreck site before reaching Martillo Island. An English or Spanish guide explains the wildlife, history, and penguin colony. Hotel pickup is optional.

“Catamarano stra colmo di gente . As ogni attrattiva da vedere ci si ammassava fuori e se eri dietro non vedevi assolutamente nulla e la gente non si spostava. Siamo arrivati dai pinguini prima di tutte le altre barche e nonostante questo la nostra si é fermata dove c’erano solo una decina di pinguini mentre il “gruppo super grande “ non siamo riusciti a vederlo nemmeno ha fatto un giro per poter mostrare anche a chi non ha visto nulla. In prezzo assurdo si quasi 169€ a persona ! I peggio spesi. Sxonsiglko !!!meglio barca piccola”

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6.Sailing tour on Nahuel Huapi Lake

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 3 hours · from $130Top rated

Sail from Puerto Petunia for three hours along Campanario Arm, past islands and calm bays, with a possible route to Isla de los Víveres and Puerto Venado. A Spanish or Portuguese-speaking guide leads the small group, limited to 10 people, with herbal teas and snacks served in a turquoise bay.

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