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Photo: Cristian Larrere
By Lily Alford
This is a scene that at first blush appears ominous. We’re on a beach shrouded in a thin blanket of mist that attempts to render the steel rocks and ochre-like seaweed of the nearby islands as grayscale, with the chill of Pacific waves lashing against a boat full of bright life-jackets.
However, the scene’s black and white protagonists are too cheer-inducing to allow any dread to set in; “¡Ciao pinguïnos!” calls out one of the youngest passengers on the boat trip, amid the group’s chattered excitement.
Tucked into a Pacific-facing cove on Chiloé Island in southern Chile, the Puñihuil Islotes and their funny little inhabitants are only an hour’s drive from the ferry crossing at Chacao and well-worth the trip.
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Photo: Lily AlfordTucked into a Pacific-facing cove on Chiloé Island in southern Chile, the Puñihuil Islotes and their funny little inhabitants are only an hour’s drive from the ferry crossing at Chacao and well-worth the trip.
This is the only known place where the Magellanic and Humboldt species share a breeding site, and they can be distinguished by the two black lines on a Magellanic chest rather than the one on a Humboldt. They nest and breed here between October and mid-March, so February is a good month to visit if you want to see the first wave of hatched chicks as I did.
If you want a detailed explanation of the penguins’ habits and habitat, including a history of the islands and their recognition by Chile as an official natural monument, make sure to grab a seat at the front of the boat. For myself and my English parents (who wouldn’t have understood the Spanish explanation anyway), we were more than happy to sit at the back by the engine and observe the world around us.
By doing so, I found that this colorless corner of the world in fact bursts with brightness- whether the beak and feet of a red-legged cormorant striking across the sky; the yellow head of a black-faced ibis; or the pops of color of the flowering herbaceous plants that crown the cliffs of these lonesome islands.
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Photo: Lily Alford 
Photo: Lily AlfordOur tour was led by Ecoturismo Puñihuil, at the price of 9,000 Chilean pesos (about US$ 9) each and an unforgettable half-hour. They are the first tour company as you drive onto the beach, and shuffled us onto the next-leaving boat as we had not booked ahead. There are two other tour providers on the beach though, as well as a few restaurants and accommodations.
Although there is road access to Puñihuil from both Ancud and Castro, I would recommend taking the W-20 and W-220 from Ancud for a more comfortable drive. The road is tarmac, and has expansive views across the Pacific. It’s also worth stopping in Ancud for a look around or a coffee (Café Blanco was our choice!) on your way through.
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