Where to See Penguins in Argentina on a Budget: Punta Tombo

If you were wondering where to see penguins in Argentina on a budget, you’ve come to the right place. The answer is Punta Tombo, a national reserve on the east coast of the country, a 3-hour drive from Puerto Madryn, and 2 hours from Trelew.

We came here because the penguins in Ushuaia on Martillo Island were too expensive to visit on a backpacking budget, and it was also the beginning of the penguin season in October. At this time of year, there are few penguins on Martillo Island, yet thousands of Magellanic penguins laying their eggs in Punta Tombo.

There is no better place to see the Argentina penguins than here once you weigh up the cost of seeing them and the number of penguins around.

What Penguin Species Can You Find in Argentina?

There are 4 main penguin species in Argentina, all found within the wildlife-rich Patagonia region in the south.

The most common are Magellanic penguins, found on the Atlantic coast between Puerto Deseado and Peninsula Valdes. Although the best place to see them is Punta Tombo, which is home to the world’s largest Magellanic penguin colony, with over 1 million found there.

Best time to see Magellanic penguins: September-March

The second group of penguins Argentina houses, are the Gentoo penguins. These can be found exclusively on Martillo Island, just off the coast of Ushuaia along the Beagle Channel. Visiting Martillo Island is one of the best things you can possibly do in Ushuaia, so don’t miss out on seeing them if you get the chance!

There are only a few hundred of them in Argentina, so these penguins are pretty rare here, although they can be found in Antarctica too.

Best time to see Gentoo penguins: November-February

Our third species of Patagonia penguins can also only be found on Martillo Island, and they are the King penguins. When you picture penguins in your head, it is probably King penguins you think of, with their white bellies, black backs and black heads with a touch of yellow.

Best time to see King penguins: Year-round

Finally, you can find Rockhopper penguins just off the coast of Puerto Deseado, around a 10-hour drive from Puerto Madryn. They are known for their distinctive yellow “hair” which makes them easy to distinguish from other species. Around 30,000 of them make an appearance in this part of Argentine Patagonia.

Best time to see Rockhopper Penguins: October-March

Why Visit Punta Tombo?

Not only is Punta Tombo one of the best places to view penguins in South America, but it is by far the easiest (during the penguin season of course).

With over a million of them to be found, you are guaranteed to spot them from September until March (although I recommend you visit from October onwards as all the penguins will be here by then).

We may well have spotted as many as a thousand during our trip to Punta Tombo, which by the way was one of the best things we did during 2 months in Argentina, a country I would currently consider my favourite from all countries I’ve been to.

Also, it isn’t just penguins you can spot here. When we went, there were many guanacos (a llama-like animal common across Patagonia) roaming around in the distance. And best of all, as we walked back to meet our tour group at the entrance, an armadillo was drinking from a small puddle in the middle of the path. I’d never seen a wild armadillo until now, but this was really cool to watch!

Punta Tombo is a wildlife paradise.

How to Get to Punta Tombo

The easiest way to reach Punta Tombo is by taking a tour. Tours run from either the nearby (by vast Patagonian standards) city of Trelew, or Puerto Madryn which is a little further out. It takes 2 hours to drive from Trelew and 3 from Puerto Madryn.

We used Sentir Patagonia as our tour agency and thoroughly enjoyed going with them. More on costs in the next section. However I would advise booking in person at their office in Puerto Madryn for the best prices (booking tours online is almost always more expensive in Latin America).

The next-easiest method of reaching this wonderful place to see the penguins of Patagonia is by driving. However, renting a car is not cheap in Argentina so this method should only be considered if you have a hefty budget.

You’re looking at a minimum of £87/US$110 to rent a vehicle for one day from Trelew.

The only other option is to get a taxi. Now since you will be coming from either Trelew or Puerto Madryn, this will cost a lot. A taxi ride will take a minimum of 4 hours for a round trip, with waiting time costing extra. Taxis can’t be found at Punta Tombo, therefore you must agree a price for them to either wait or pick you up at a certain time.

There are no buses or trains that go to Punta Tombo. As a result, this is not an easy place to reach without a tour, unless you have local friends with their own vehicle. I recommend taking an organised tour.

How Much Does it Cost to Visit Punta Tombo?

Our tour cost £86/US$109 from Puerto Madryn. It is slightly cheaper to go from Trelew as the distance is nearer, although there’s very little difference in the price overall.

We shopped around, and settled for Sentir Patagonia as they offered the best balance of price, quality experience, and a proven track record with lots of positive reviews.

On top of this, you will have to pay an entry fee to get in. The fee in pesos changes often due to Argentina’s unstable economic situation. However the prices will roughly be similar to these:

Adults and children aged 12 or older: £12/US$15

Children aged 6-11: £6/US$8

Children 5 and under or anyone with a disability: Free entry (you must show your disability card or certificate as proof)

When is the Best Time to Visit Punta Tombo?

I would say the best time for visiting Punta Tombo is November, as this is when you get to see the chicks hatching, which is pretty cool!

The next-best time to visit is October which is when we went. This is because the Magellanic penguins of Argentina lay their eggs in this month. It was still pretty interesting watching them build nests in the ground.

Here’s a full calendar outlining what the penguins are up to each month in Punta Tombo:

April-August: Migration season (no penguins to be seen)

September: Penguins arrive

October: Egg-laying season

November-December: Chicks hatch from the eggs

January: Chicks leave the nests

February-March: Feather molt (penguins shed their feathers for around 8 weeks)

Where Else Can You See Penguins on a Budget in Argentina?

You can’t. Whilst it is possible to see other species of penguins in Patagonia on Isla Martillo and in Puerto Deseado, Punta Tombo is by far the cheapest option.

Puerto Deseado is remote and tricky to reach. Getting there alone will hammer your budget as you will have to rely on private transport to reach it.

Isla Martillo tours mostly involve staying on the boat which means you don’t get the full experience. Only Piratour will let you get out onto the island and actually walk alongside the penguins.

They have a monopoly on this activity due to a deal with the owners of the island, meaning other companies aren’t allowed to stop on Martillo and can only stay in the surrounding waters. As a result, prices start from a minimum of £126/US$160. And even that is only with a bit of luck and good negotiation.

Are the Penguins in Argentina Worth Seeing?

Absolutely, yes! This is a serious bucket list activity, and seeing the penguins in Punta Tombo was one of the most special experiences of our Patagonia trip which also included other major highlights such as the incredible Perito Moreno Glacier.

I would highly recommend you travel up here, even if your journey is long and arduous, just as our 27-hour bus ride from El Calafate was.

There’s something really special about seeing animals in their natural habitat rather than a zoo, and this was undoubtably one of our favourite experiences in Patagonia, and in Argentina overall.