Visiting the penguin colony of Puñihuil is one of the things you can’t miss if you travel to Chiloé Island.
If you’re touring the big island of Chiloé there are plenty of places to see. Especially in high season, one of the things you can’t miss is a visit to the Puñihuil penguin colony, located on the northwest coast of the island. Here is all the information you need to plan your visit.
Puñihuil are three rocky islets off the coast, declared a Natural Monument in 1999 to protect the breeding colony of Humboldt and Magellanic penguins. Seabirds and other animals are often seen here.
🔎 Check here the guide to travel to Chiloe Island.
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Getting to the Puñihuil penguin colony
If you are going to visit the Puñihuil penguin colony, there are different options to get there:
- By own car or rental car: in this case you should drive along the road to Ancud and then take the W20 and W220 route. It is about 26 kilometres in total from Ancud to Puñihuil and it takes about 40 minutes to get there.
🚗 Check here if you want to rent a car in Puerto Montt to visit Chiloe Island.
- By public bus: there is also the option of taking a public bus from Ancud to Puñihuil or making the combination Puerto Montt/Ancud/Puñihuil.
- Hiring an excursion: in this case the excursions can be done in the day from Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas (outside the island) or from Castro or Ancud (if you are already on the island). In addition to the penguin colony, the city of Ancud is usually visited.
How is the excursion to visit the Puñihuil penguin colony?
The excursion to visit the Puñihuil penguin colony can be booked on site, if you arrive by car, or also from Ancud, Castro, Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas in a day trip that includes additional tours.
If you go there on your own, there are many daily departures, up to 15 per day, so if you arrive by car there is no need to book.
The excursion consists of a half-hour boat trip around the islets where the penguin colonies are located. A guide is on board to explain the breeding and rearing of the penguins.
Best time to visit the Puñihuil penguin colony
The best time to visit the Puñihuil penguin colony is from September to mid-March. At the end of September the penguins start to arrive for breeding and around January they have their chicks, and then move out to sea at the end of March.
Admission fee to visit the Natural Monument of the Puñihuil Islets
The entrance to the Monumento Natural de los Islotes de Puñihuil is free of charge.
But to see the penguins on the islets it is necessary to go on board a boat and then hire an excursion as mentioned above.
The price to board the guided boats in 2026 is 10,000 Chilean pesos for adults (USD 10) and 5,000 Chilean pesos (USD 5) for children.
Location (map)
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