Punta Tombo Provincial Reserve

Punta Tombo is a protected natural area in Chubut, Argentina, renowned for hosting the world’s largest colony of Magellanic penguins. Visitors can explore interpretive trails and a visitor center to learn about the area’s ecology and conservation efforts.

Planning your visit

Punta Tombo holds the largest Magellanic penguin colony outside the Falklands — several hundred thousand birds nesting across a scrubby peninsula on the Patagonian coast, arriving in September to breed and departing by April.

The birds nest in burrows and under bushes directly beside the marked walking trails, entirely habituated to people, which means walking among them at close range with no barrier — an unusual arrangement that depends on visitors keeping to the paths and giving way, since the penguins have right of way.

The visitor centre covers the colony's ecology, the pressures on it from fishing and oil pollution, and the conservation work.

Chubut province is also significant palaeontological ground, and tours frequently combine the colony with the Egidio Feruglio museum at Trelew, which holds Patagotitan, among the largest dinosaurs ever found.

Timing matters entirely — outside the breeding season the birds are at sea. Bookable options include combined tours. Current availability is shown below.