The king penguin is the second largest in the world and lives almost exclusively on subantarctic islands. The colony at Bahía Inútil, in Tierra del Fuego, is the only one reachable overland outside Antarctica: to see them you have to cross the Strait of Magellan.
The day starts early, with the ferry crossing to Tierra del Fuego. From there we drive across the Fuegian pampas to Bahía Inútil, among sheep ranches, herds of guanacos and steppe birds. It is a long, wide-open drive, quite unlike anywhere else in the region.
At King Penguin Park we watch the colony from the designated viewing points, at a distance and without disturbing the birds. There is time to see them in their own surroundings and learn about their behaviour. The park limits entry to 15 people per group, so the visit is never crowded.
The return includes a second ferry crossing before continuing to Punta Arenas, where we arrive at around 10:00 p.m. We normally cross at Tres Puentes and return via Primera Angostura, although the order may be reversed, or the whole trip made via Primera Angostura, depending on the day and weather conditions.
The park opens Thursday to Sunday until the first week of November, and Tuesday to Sunday from then until the end of April. It is closed on Mondays.
The route may change depending on weather conditions.