The 15 Best Wildlife Tours in Puerto Madryn

1.Snorkeling Trip with Sea Lions

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 81 reviews · 2h 30m · from $150Our pick

From Puerto Madryn, ride to Paraná Beach and Punta Loma Nature Reserve, where you may spot penguins, dolphins, and whales before snorkeling with wild sea lions for about 40 minutes. Madryn Buceo supplies the suit and equipment, with guides in Spanish, English, and Italian. Hotel pickup is optional.

“Enjoyed it a lot, check in and suiting up was made easy and clear. Staff on the boat were fun but professional. Of course absolutely amazing to snorkel so close the sea lions, they came right up to us”

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2.Cruise Shore Excursion Punta Tombo with Boxlunch from Pto Madryn

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $120Top rated

Ride from Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo, then walk a 1.5-kilometer trail among Magellanic penguins, guanacos, rheas, and other wildlife. Guides such as Mariana, Roy, Pitu, and Marcela add local insight. Allow for a long drive, uneven paths, and an entrance fee of about $20.

“Many beautiful penguins in their natural environment. Also, a brief history lesson of the local area.”

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3.Shore Excursion Punta Tombo cruise passengers Puerto Madryn

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $125

Ride from Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English and Spanish-speaking guide. Walk among Magellanic penguins, watch guanacos and Patagonian hares, and enjoy a boxed lunch. The trip lasts about seven hours, with optional dinosaur and city stops if your cruise schedule allows.

“Super fun day! The van was nice and air conditioned, we got there before everyone else and spent time on the path without a lot of people around. Maria was awesome and told us about the area on the long drives. There were so many penguins!!”

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4.Punta Tombo Walking Among Penguins Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 46 reviews · 10 hours · from $120

Travel from Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo for a guided 3-kilometer walk among Magellanic penguins during breeding season. English and Spanish guides such as Max and Mariana explain the animals and their behavior. Transport, hotel pickup, and air conditioning are included, while park entry, lunch, and optional extras cost extra.

“Very good tour. Loved walking with Penguins though could have used a little more time at Punto Tumbo. The guide was very good She shared a lot of interesting information.”

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5.Punta Tombo Tour, the Penguin Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 46 reviews · 9 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $90Best value

Travel from Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo, where Magellanic penguins nest from September through April. Your guide explains Patagonia’s wildlife while you walk marked paths among penguins, and you may add elephant seals, Gaiman Welsh tea, or a dolphin boat ride for extra fees. The day lasts about 9 to 11 hours.

“You can't miss it! You learn and enjoy a lot. Penguins are beautiful and elephant seals are awesome!Auto-translated”

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6.Penguin Tour & Península Valdés Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 41 reviews · 10 hours · from $198

Spend 10 hours exploring Península Valdés from Puerto Madryn, with a bilingual guide, the San Lorenzo Magellanic penguin colony, Punta Norte seals, and roadside wildlife. Small groups are possible, and guides such as Alex, Esteban, and Martin have led informative outings. Lunch and whale watching cost extra.

“Everything was amazing. The guide really loves her job and explains very interestingly. The group was small, the dinner was VERY tasty. Definitely recommend.”

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7.Punta Tombo Shore Excursion w/box Lunch(Shared tour for cruises)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 40 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $135

Travel about two hours each way across Patagonia to Punta Tombo, where boardwalks lead through a large Magellanic penguin rookery. Your guide explains breeding, chicks, molting, and migration, then gives you roughly two hours to explore. The shared tour carries up to 17 people, includes lunch and port transport, and returns you to Puerto Madryn.

“Très belle visite de la reserve de pingouins. Guide très sympathique, fournissant des explications intéressantes en englais et en espagnol. A recommander !”

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8.Punta Tombo Penguin Colony from Puerto Madryn with optional Toninas Watching

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $158

Leave Puerto Madryn at 7:15 am for Punta Tombo, where Magellanic penguins share the coast with seabirds and Patagonian wildlife. The day includes air-conditioned transport, a guide, and an optional Puerto Rawson boat trip to see small dusky dolphins called Toninas. Lunch is not included, and Punta Tombo admission costs extra.

“The guide was very nice. But it’s not worth taking a tour, better just find a way to get to Punta Tombo as you basically just walk in the reserve by yourself. They take you to a tea house after, note that you can just not go and go for a walk as it’s the experience is so-so. 8k for tea + a (very very big) spread of butter toast, cakes and scones.”

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9.Punta Tombo Shore Excursion for Cruise Guests

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 25 reviews · 6 hours · from $90

From Piedrabuena Pier, you’ll ride 180 km south to Punta Tombo, where a bilingual English and Spanish guide leads a 1.5-hour walk among wild Magellanic penguins. The six-hour cruise excursion includes air-conditioned transport and pier pickup, but reserve entry, meals, and tips cost extra.

“We had a great time in Punto Tombo, it was really nice to see the Magellanic penguins in their natural habitat! Our guide/driver was also very good. The only downside was the car itself; four adults spent four hours in a Dacia Duster, which was really uncomfortable. Otherwise, it was a great day.”

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10.Punta Tombo Cruise Shore Excursion – Walk among penguins

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 24 reviews · 6 hours · from $120

Travel 170 km from Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo with an English-speaking guide such as Mariana or Maria, then follow a 1.5-kilometer trail among Magellanic penguins, nests, gulls, guanacos, and choiques. The six-hour cruise excursion includes port transfers, lunch, water, and a planned return before ship departure.

“Our guide Mariana Z and driver Roy were both superb. Mariana is an expert on everything for Patagonia, it's history, culture and the wildlife. She provided one of the best commentaries during the travel that I've ever heard from any guide in the world. Wonderful personality and excellent English. Roy's driving was perfect. He was very kind to the other guests. A truly great day!”

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11.Full Day Excursion to Punta Tombo

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 20 reviews · 8 hours · from $112

Travel from Puerto Madryn across the Patagonian Steppe to Punta Tombo, home to one of the world’s largest Magellanic penguin colonies. You’ll walk the penguin trails, visit the interpretation center, and have time for lunch at the reserve café. English and Spanish guides, transport, and hotel pickup are included.

“Great guide. great fun! cheerful, informative, friendly, five stars all the way”

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12.Punta Tombo Penguin Tour & Optional Tonina Watching

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 8 reviews · 8 - 11 hours · from $300

Set out from Puerto Madryn around 7:30 am for Puerto Rawson and Punta Tombo. Add a 90-minute boat trip to see tiny Tonina dolphins, then walk among Magellanic penguins and coastal birds. English and Spanish guides, hotel transfers, and a possible Gaiman Welsh tea visit are included, but park admission and meals are extra.

“Aunque es una erogacion de dinero interesante es una excursion imperdible para toda la flia y edades . Seria bueno pofer abonarla al menos en 3 cuotas. El servicio de guia muy bueno. Madryn es cordial y segura como ciudsd”

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13.PUERTO MADRYN , SNORKELING WITH SEA LIONS

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 7 reviews · 3 hours · from $145

Join Abramar for a three-hour sea lion snorkeling trip from Puerto Madryn to Punta Loma Protected Natural Area. You will cruise 15 to 20 minutes, watch marine wildlife, then spend about 35 to 40 minutes in the water with sea lions. English and Spanish guides, wetsuits, snorkel gear, tea, and safety instruction are included.

“The tour crew were wonderful! The seals were not as interactive with us as they were with another tour group that was there, but I do appreciate the respect, safety, and comfort that the crew provided and it was an amazing experience overall!”

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14.Snorkeling with Sea Lions

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 7 reviews · 2 hours · from $153

From Lobo Larsen’s beach center, you’ll take a 25-minute boat ride to Punta Loma, then snorkel for up to 40 minutes near a year-round colony of about 600 sea lions. Instructors speak five languages, provide full 7mm gear, and supervise small groups of up to eight people. Wildlife approaches are never guaranteed.

“It was an amazing experience! The sea lions were super playful and swam all around us. The crew was great, they had a scuba diver making bubbles to attract the sea lions and they took amazing photos and videos of them swimming. The crew was also super patient and accommodating, our cruise was late docking and they waited for us without issue and everything went great! Definitely recommend ☺️”

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15.Punta Tombo Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers + City

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $105

Travel from Puerto Madryn’s cruise pier to Punta Tombo with an English or Spanish guide, then walk among Magellanic penguins, guanacos, and Patagonian hares. The six-hour outing uses air-conditioned vehicles and may include a Puerto Madryn city tour. Karen and Hernán are praised for attentive guiding and driving.

“Excursión buenísima, gracias a Karen, la guía y a Hernán, el chofer. Los dos muy atentos. Karen con mucho conocimiento del área y explica muy bien. Punta Tombo, creo que es único lugar dónde se puede "caminar entre los pingüinos". No compramos el almuerzo, pues compramos un par de empanadas y un café en la parada del baño y gasolina, y nos fué bien. Tuvimos tiempo de ir a ver estatua del dinosaurio "Patagotita" y a tirarnos fotos. Y como era un tour de crucero, tuvimos suficiente tiempo de llegar al puerto y dar una vuelta por el área antes de entrar al barco. Recomiendo 100% a Sussanich Turismo.”

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