chiloe island penguin colony

Boats took us right up to the colonies. The operation was well organized and well done. The penguins were not at all concerned with our being so close.

This is a great place near Ancud to see a lot of birds, mainly penguins. You take a boat and make a ride around small islands were you can take a lot of pictures. You can eat something in small restaurants in the beach.

This is very cool Humbolt and Magellan penguins are in residence from November through March--then they take off. They were molting when we were there, so they weren't too active, but the guide gave us a good tour. Getting on and off the boat was a kick-they load you onto a trolly on the sand and wheel you out to the boat so you step on and off the boat. It is a beautiful setting--you drive to the end of the road and onto the beach. This is the same as the Islotes de Punihuil

We were staying in Castro so drove to this attraction. Be careful though as the satnav took us via the shortest route which involved driving for maybe 45 minutes on rough untarmac-ed roads (loose stones). With hindsight it would have been better to stick to the main roads. It was busy when we arrived so best to book in advance. Anyway it was well worth it and since we had never seen penguins before except in a zoo it was a great experience. Plenty of photo opportunities but the best side of our boat for this was on the left. Kids would probably enjoy it too. Restaurant and toilets available on the beach.

We drove from Ancud (hire car) along a winding rural road to the west coast. There are a couple of signs pointing the way at crucial junctions. The road ends and you drive onto the sand and park. I was struck immediately with the beauty of the beach, and it hasn't really been spoiled yet, despite the visitors. The boat tour was great, not least because the guide on our boat (there are others) was hilarious and well-informed (although he didn't speak English). We saw both Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins from close up. They said that the best months for seeing them is from January to February, partly because of better weather, but also because the young penguins are learning to swim and fish before they head out to sea in March. We also saw an amazing range of seabirds and a couple of sea otters.

Joined a tour organized by Mystik out of Ancud (great tour guide Rodriga) to visit the colonies about a 45 minute car ride from town If you have a car you can drive out to the colony near Playa Mar Brava. If you dont take a tour you miss out on lots of information - guides avaiable in English- but with some careful reading of the info at the boat tour office you can get the basics. Once on the boat there is an ongking explanation - only in Spanish. In the 45 mjn. On the boat we saw all three colonies (2000 penquins) . The boat captain was skilled in getting us close to the birds jncluding a number of migratory birds and a lone sea otter. Life jackets provided. Great way to see both Magellan and Humbolt penquinos!

Went on the ferry to Ancud with a trip along the coast watching people collecting seaweed with bullock cats. The Ancud market is great, huge variety of fish, vegetables, etc and crafts. Headed to the penguin colony - brilliant.

We read the reviews on tripvisor about tours to the penguin colony so looked for one. An Ancud resident noticed we had a car and told us to just drive there from Ancud. It was less the 30 minutes and the road litterally ends at the beach.There are small tour operators rights there and the price is 1/3 of what a tour would costs. The tour operators were all local and seemed to take turns when random tourists would show up with their car. There are about 3-4 little operators and it's a protected area so all is regulated.The penguin islands are just off shore and the trip is about 30 -40 minutes. We saw a ton penguins, otters and plenty of other bird species.The beach area is really beaufitul and there are a handful of local resturants nothing outstanding but good fish, wine and an excellent view.

A winding road from Ancud, brings you to the beach where you are transported to see the penguin colony. It is a most unusual mode of pushcart which transfers the passengers to the boats waiting in the surf. Cudos to the gents who devised this great vehicle which allows the tourists to enjoy a dry visit even on a rainy day. Well worth the drive and with no bookings we still managed to get straight onto a boat and get up and personal with the sea and bird life on the island off shore. Great way to spend a wet and cloudy afternoon and still drive to Dalcahue before dark.

Aparently the pinguins were there, but it was too windy for the boats to head out.. Easy to reach by small car. People don't speak english

We had to put on chest waders before Jan and I could be rowed out through the surf to the rocky island which was home to seals, penguins and cormorants. The cormorants were not all the black and white ones, some were Grey Cormorants with very pretty reticulated feathers and stunning red legs. We also watched a sea otter floating on its back a few feet away eating a crab and then taking another crab to its young who were hiding in a hole in the rocks. We also saw a family of Steamer Ducks paddling past as fast as they could go and some black vultures looking for shellfish

Interesting, Tripadvisor lists 7 outdoor things to do in Chiloe, 3 of which are for the same place, just with different names. No mater the name, the Punihuil penguins are a treat not to be missed. As others have described, this site is nicely organized and when you arrive at the beach you are directed to the company (prices vary somewhat) with the next departure. We saw the promised two kinds of penquins, sea otters, and a sea lion. The boat driver skillfully maneuvered so that we all got good views. I'm not sure if any of tours are offered in English, but from my friend's translation, the Spanish-speaking guide's information was excellent. An unexpected treat: we walked past the first most visible restaurant and found a modest one-story structure with tables out front that didn't even look like a restaurant. Walking up to a window, we ordered food prepared by the woman's auxiliary of the local fisherman's union. It was the best and freshest food (crab quesadilla and merluza or hake) that I had during my week on Chiloe.

We arrived and were escorted to the far end of the beach - it was strange to drive past all the other services but it turned out that the company with the next departure has a staff person at the entrance to maximise the number of people in each departure. There are 6 companies offering tours and the number of boats and the schedule is controlled by the parks and municipal services. The tour operators are diligent about sticking to the rules which is best for the penguins no doubt!We put on the big ponchos provided and were wheeled out to the boat on an elevated platform so we didn't get wet feet! Our guide was excellent, explaining in Spanish the nesting and feeding patterns of the 2 different penguins in the reserve (Humbolt and Magellanic) and also about the 4 species of cormorants, the sea lions, Magellanic flightless duck and numerous fish species. We saw most of these animals on our tour and then returned to the beach to play in the sand and waves - the water is cold so swimming even on a hot sunny day is a challenge but the location is nothing short of spectacular. We were also exceptionally lucky to see a miniature Chilote deer (Pudu) making it's way up the hill behind the beach. Rating 10/10!

More often than not, we have traveled "by the seat of our pants," making decisions about where to go, what to see, on the fly. But for our first trip to Chile, we instead worked with Enchanting South America to not only make recommendations on the places that would best match our interests, but also to ensure that every last detail was taken care of. Unlike other trips when we've spent hours and hours doing research (only to find that some online representations are more accurate than others), our travel consultants and coordinators at Enchanting South America made this trip 100% effortless!Our outing to the penguin colony on Chiloe Island was a perfect example. Our guide arrived at our hotel at the designated hour, and spent the time while driving to Chiloe and Punihuil not only telling us about the island's history and culture, but stopping along the way to point out some noteworthy sights -- from old wooden churches to the local agri-business of seaweed harvesting, to a unique species of duck along the shoreline.His recommendation for a place to have lunch at Punihuil was exceptionally good! But nothing could have been comparable to the experience of being wheeled through the surf on something that resembled a large baggage cart to our small 18-passenger boat, then navigating the rocks and surf to see the penguin colony up close and personal.This excursion was but one of a half-dozen others recommended and coordinated by Enchanting South America. They hit a home run every time!

My husband and I greatly enjoyed our tour to the penguin colony with ChiloeAustral Tours (tucked away upstairs in the Feria Artisan Building in Ancud). We had no prior booking and our trip was basically planned to suit our interests and timing - made more enjoyable by our guide - Luis - a very professional young man - who was able to give us the tour in English (not at all the norm). Luis was able to give us information on the flora and fauna as well as the history and mythology of the region. Not only were we happy to be able to see the penguins but also got some interesting insights into the local culture. It was a very worthwhile afternoon and to be able to make the most of it I would highly recommend that you request Luis to accompany you on your tour.