Gable Island & Penguin colony with canoeing

This is a very active excursion, it is the most comprehensive full day tour of Tierra del Fuego. From our office on 136 Roca Street, we will leave by bus to the East on National Route No. 3 and then on the "J" route. Once on the Lasifashaj River, preparations will begin to paddle in inflatable canoes along the river and the Beagle Channel. We will remember the original peoples of the south of the world who lived with the Canal, furrowing its calm waters and making canoes their way of life: nomadism. To get on the canoes we will offer you rubber boots, cover pants and life jackets so that you can paddle down the river until you reach the sea: the Beagle Channel itself. There we will have a clear panoramic view of the Chilean side: the Navarino island and, further away, the Picton and Lennox islands. Along the itinerary at sea we will see Fuegian wildlife, variety of seabirds and it is also possible that we spot sea lions.

Those who do not want to make the canoe journey, have the option of not doing that section and then come back to join the group at the end of the row to continue the journey together.

Once the rowing is finished, we will arrive at the Harberton Estancia hull, of enormous historical importance for the region since it was the first land of Tierra del Fuego (founded in 1886) where settlers of British origin lived together with the original peoples. There are 20,000 hectares of mountains, forests, lakes and islands. From there we will take a motor boat in the direction of Yécapasela Island (its native name, but that in the current cartography appears under the name of Martillo Island), on the way we will see endless small islands that accompany us along the way . Upon reaching the island and from the boat, we can see a large colony of penguins at their breeding site. The island has 3,000 pairs of Magellanic penguins, Papuan penguin couples and more than 100 pairs of rocky cormorants that nest on the cliffs to the south. Depending on the time of the year and the climatic conditions, it is possible to see the different species.

Sailing in the motor boat then continues to the main attraction of the day: the huge and wonderful Isla Gable, where an exquisite hot lunch awaits us, with good Patagonian wine, soft drinks and mineral water. After a coffee, we go around the surroundings in an entertaining interpretive walk to get to know the natural environment better, through huge beaver dams and Magellanic forests full of lengas and ñires. Along the way we will be able to appreciate vestiges of the Yámanas families that lived with the Anglican missionaries. Then we will border the sea coast until we reach the boat that will take us back to Puerto Harberton and take the bus to Ushuaia.