Isla Magdalena & Penguin Colony Boat Tour

Located on the Strait of Magellan, about 18 miles (30 km) northeast of the Patagonian city of Punta Arenas, is Isla Magdalena. On this island is Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, a protected area home to Chile's largest colony of penguins. A half-day boat excursion to Magdalena involves first stopping at Marta Island, located in the middle of the strait. It's home to a large colony of Patagonian sea lions whose numbers top a thousand. But these aren't the only residents on this rocky outpost. There are also many seabirds, including cormorants, skuas, arctic pigeons, and more.

The next stop is Isla Magdalena, where passengers will disembark and spend one hour on shore. There's an 800-meter (2,624-foot) path here that leads to an old lighthouse offering sweeping views of the Strait of Magellan. The trail passes right beside the island's residents: a Magellanic penguin colony that can reach up to 170,000 in number. There's no experience on earth quite like hiking alongside penguins near Patagonian waters first mapped by Magellan and made famous by Charles Darwin.