Estancia Harberton
Estancia Harberton
4
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
About
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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4.0
1,161 reviews
Excellent
524
Very good
417
Average
174
Poor
29
Terrible
17
Rishi
The Netherlands120 contributions
Dec 2021
The Estancia is an obligatory stopover if you want to visit Martillo Island. Pira tours is the only company that brings you to Martillo Island. Martillo Island is owned by the family that owns Estancia Harberton and has given Pira tours the right to let people visit Martillo island.
The problem with this is that there is little to see at Estancia Harberton. There are some volunteers who give guided tours of the skeletons of many sea animals. However the tours of the grounds itself were laughable, it was literally a story of 5 minutes about the family. You couldn't even enter any of the buidings, except the little cafe and the little museum with skeletons.
Moreover, you have to pay (at the time of writing this in January 2022) 2500 pesos per person to enter Estancia Harberton, which comes on top of the tickets you buy for the penguin tour...The penguin tour was worth it, but unfortunately you will have to buy tickets for the Estancia Harberton too, which to me feels a bit unfair.
The problem with this is that there is little to see at Estancia Harberton. There are some volunteers who give guided tours of the skeletons of many sea animals. However the tours of the grounds itself were laughable, it was literally a story of 5 minutes about the family. You couldn't even enter any of the buidings, except the little cafe and the little museum with skeletons.
Moreover, you have to pay (at the time of writing this in January 2022) 2500 pesos per person to enter Estancia Harberton, which comes on top of the tickets you buy for the penguin tour...The penguin tour was worth it, but unfortunately you will have to buy tickets for the Estancia Harberton too, which to me feels a bit unfair.
Written 2 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
formershrink
New Jersey, USA660 contributions
Jan 2023
I came here as part of a tour to the penguin island and there is nothing of interest here, nor are the views particularly good. A tour of a small garden with a guide who admitted she knew nothing. Then a whale bone museum, I kid you not.
Written 28 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PaCyclist
Philadelphia, PA35 contributions
Jan 2022
This was a perfect day, as were most days in Patagonia. The kayaking was very easy and very scenic. We then from the water saw nesting cormorants and traveled to the penguin colony. Then we were able to visit a refugio for a delicious home cooked lunch and a hike of beautiful scenery and interesting plants.
Written 20 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shifra w
toronto4,651 contributions
Jan 2020
Located on a peninsula jutting out into the Beagle Channel, Estancia Harberton was founded in 1886 by British missionary Thomas Bridges. He'd first visited Tierra del Fuego 22 years earlier, setting up an Anglican mission in Ushuaia Bay, where the modern city now stands.
Eventually, Thomas resigned from the mission and established this estancia, formerly called Downeast, forty nautical miles (60 km) east of Ushuaia.
He named the estancia Harberton, which had been the home of his wife, Mary Ann Varder, in Devon, England.
The present manager and part-owner, Tommy Goodall, is Thomas Bridges’s great-grandson
The family has stopped farming cattle and sheep, and today their main source of income is tourism.
Members of the family will give you a short guided tour of the barn and the gardens, sharing interesting historical stories.
I found the flower gardens particularly intriguing.
Most of the flowers are not native, but were introduced by the Bridges family.
There are also lovely vegetable gardens and the day I was there, family members were bringing baskets of just cut, freshly grown lettuces to the restaurant.
You can get to Estancia Haberton either by bus or by catamaran.
The way we got there was via a very crowded catamaran named Francesco.
Along the boat cruise of the Beagle Channel, you will see islands of sea lions and cormorants, as well as pass the 'lighthouse at the end of the world'.
Some of the cruises just view the island of the penguins and then return to Ushaia.
To actually be able to stroll on the island with the penguins, one has to take the boat from the estancia--only twenty people are allowed on the island at one time, and the estancia provides a guide.
We did not see the marine museum. I am not sure why we didn't.
Some of the buildings were closed when we were there.
We bussed back to Ushaia, which was very welcome, being that the boat had been so very crowded (see my review of the Beagle Channel, called Canal Beagle on TripAdvisor). I had posted many pictures for that review, but they disappeared, so I posted some of them with this review.
Eventually, Thomas resigned from the mission and established this estancia, formerly called Downeast, forty nautical miles (60 km) east of Ushuaia.
He named the estancia Harberton, which had been the home of his wife, Mary Ann Varder, in Devon, England.
The present manager and part-owner, Tommy Goodall, is Thomas Bridges’s great-grandson
The family has stopped farming cattle and sheep, and today their main source of income is tourism.
Members of the family will give you a short guided tour of the barn and the gardens, sharing interesting historical stories.
I found the flower gardens particularly intriguing.
Most of the flowers are not native, but were introduced by the Bridges family.
There are also lovely vegetable gardens and the day I was there, family members were bringing baskets of just cut, freshly grown lettuces to the restaurant.
You can get to Estancia Haberton either by bus or by catamaran.
The way we got there was via a very crowded catamaran named Francesco.
Along the boat cruise of the Beagle Channel, you will see islands of sea lions and cormorants, as well as pass the 'lighthouse at the end of the world'.
Some of the cruises just view the island of the penguins and then return to Ushaia.
To actually be able to stroll on the island with the penguins, one has to take the boat from the estancia--only twenty people are allowed on the island at one time, and the estancia provides a guide.
We did not see the marine museum. I am not sure why we didn't.
Some of the buildings were closed when we were there.
We bussed back to Ushaia, which was very welcome, being that the boat had been so very crowded (see my review of the Beagle Channel, called Canal Beagle on TripAdvisor). I had posted many pictures for that review, but they disappeared, so I posted some of them with this review.
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ANGELAHOL
London, UK198 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
This museum is largely skeletons and photographs of larger fish and whales. The guide spoke English and it was a quirky place, with masses of fish skeletons and bones. A small team continues to clean and preserve and it was interesting to watch them at work. A very smelly job!
Written 27 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AdventurerJudy
Chicago, Illinois380 contributions
Dec 2012 • Family
We took the bus from Ushuaia to the Estancia and then a boat to the Penguin island. It was well worth the time. The penguins were up close and plentiful. We were there after the newborns were out and about. The scenery is spectacular too. The mini museum was educational and homespun. All was enjoyed by the whole family.
Written 17 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel_Texans
Silsbee, TX410 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
On Feb. 27, we arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina, aboard the cruise ship Carnival Splendor. Instead of booking a ship's excursion, we participated in an independent group tour arranged by a fellow passenger to see penguins.
Once off the ship, we walked to the Pira Tour booth which was situated just off the pier. We were transported by a small bus to Harberton Ranch. The owners of the ranch, also, own Martillo Island. The island is located in the Beagle Channel. Pira Tours is the only tour company that is allowed to take visitors onto the island.
We boarded a small (seating area covered) boat for the ride to Martillo Island. It is home to Magellanic Penguins. In addition, on our visit we saw Gentoos and one Emperor. It was such an amazing experience to be able to walk around the penguins. And they seemed very accustomed to "human" visitors. The penguins were so interesting and funny to observe.
After approximately one hour of walking around with our guide, the boat returned to pick us up. We were taken back to the ranch where we visited an on-sight museum established by the ranch owner's wife. After the museum, we were returned to the cruise dock.
This was an experience that I'm glad we didn't miss.
Once off the ship, we walked to the Pira Tour booth which was situated just off the pier. We were transported by a small bus to Harberton Ranch. The owners of the ranch, also, own Martillo Island. The island is located in the Beagle Channel. Pira Tours is the only tour company that is allowed to take visitors onto the island.
We boarded a small (seating area covered) boat for the ride to Martillo Island. It is home to Magellanic Penguins. In addition, on our visit we saw Gentoos and one Emperor. It was such an amazing experience to be able to walk around the penguins. And they seemed very accustomed to "human" visitors. The penguins were so interesting and funny to observe.
After approximately one hour of walking around with our guide, the boat returned to pick us up. We were taken back to the ranch where we visited an on-sight museum established by the ranch owner's wife. After the museum, we were returned to the cruise dock.
This was an experience that I'm glad we didn't miss.
Written 7 April 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Woolens
Florida1,298 contributions
Mar 2013 • Couples
On a recent day trip in Ushuaia we had a trip booked with PiraTour to see penguins in their natural habitat. This also included a visit to Haberton Ranch and their small wildlife museum.
We arrived at the Kiosk in town and was met by Santi who was our guide. He is a young local and was very knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. We boarded their new UNIMOG vehicle, there were 20 of us. They said they were using their new vehicle to 'run it in' as they want to do off road tours in the future. Had we not been in that vehicle the ride would have been a lot rougher. It is about a 1 1/2 hour ride to the ranch. If you go there walk around the small village as it still looks like it did years ago. There are many artifacts from last century. There is a small tearoom which was selling some locally made woollens very well priced.
After our visit to the village and the museum we boarded a Zodiac boat to the penguin rookery that was approximately a 15 minutes ride as we had good weather. This was the highlight of the trip and it well worth the journey. As soon as we approached the landing site there was a welcome party of Gentoo penguins. Before we were allowed off the vessel we were strictly told of the rules not to harass the penguins. We had to stay on the designated path and stay in our group and not make any sudden moves or noises. This was perfectly fine with me as they were a delight to see. Santi said there were more than a thousand breeding pairs. There were also some Magellanic penguins and a few King. Santi said they have shown up recently which was a bit unusual. The time on the island was about i hour.
We paid for this trip in advance as we wanted to make sure we were on the tour. There was no problem sending them our credit card number and our questions were promptly answered all by email. Pira is a very professional tour company and I would wholeheartedly recommend them.
We arrived at the Kiosk in town and was met by Santi who was our guide. He is a young local and was very knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. We boarded their new UNIMOG vehicle, there were 20 of us. They said they were using their new vehicle to 'run it in' as they want to do off road tours in the future. Had we not been in that vehicle the ride would have been a lot rougher. It is about a 1 1/2 hour ride to the ranch. If you go there walk around the small village as it still looks like it did years ago. There are many artifacts from last century. There is a small tearoom which was selling some locally made woollens very well priced.
After our visit to the village and the museum we boarded a Zodiac boat to the penguin rookery that was approximately a 15 minutes ride as we had good weather. This was the highlight of the trip and it well worth the journey. As soon as we approached the landing site there was a welcome party of Gentoo penguins. Before we were allowed off the vessel we were strictly told of the rules not to harass the penguins. We had to stay on the designated path and stay in our group and not make any sudden moves or noises. This was perfectly fine with me as they were a delight to see. Santi said there were more than a thousand breeding pairs. There were also some Magellanic penguins and a few King. Santi said they have shown up recently which was a bit unusual. The time on the island was about i hour.
We paid for this trip in advance as we wanted to make sure we were on the tour. There was no problem sending them our credit card number and our questions were promptly answered all by email. Pira is a very professional tour company and I would wholeheartedly recommend them.
Written 26 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tryptadvisor
Mexico356 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
Ironic monument to a family who once helped reduce the autochthonous population in no uncertain way. Today their grandson for no fault of his own preserves an unspectacular estancia and the language of an extinct tribe. IMHO you can hike the woods above Ushuaia and skip the tour to Harberton, spend the money on some treats for the countless homeless dogs in the area.
Written 12 February 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacqueline R
Paramus, NJ358 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
From the zodiac boot to Manzilla island to see the Magellan penguins , to the Beagle Chanel , Flat trees, Elephamt seals , Sea lions, to the museum of bones of sea animals. It was worth it. The day is spent in awe of the natural beauty of this world and nature.
Written 10 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paradise46639191702
Englishtown, New Jersey
Is early Feburary a good time to see those penguins?
Written 24 October 2023
Sarò ad Ushuaia il prossimo 4 e 5 gennaio 2020. Le escursioni con camminata a la pinguinera sono tutte sold out. Sono in lista di attesa con Piratour, ma ho molte persone davanti a me! Visitare la pinguinera e camminare tra i pinguini era un mio sogno, ma mi sono decisa un mese prima ed era già tardi! Posso prenotare privatamente presso l'Estancia Haberton raggiugendovi con un autobus o con un'auto a noleggio?
Written 9 December 2019
Ciao, per camminare in mezzo ai pinguini della Isla Mirtillo l’unica cosa è prenotare con Piratour perché padrone dell’isola e dell’agenzia sono parenti 😂.. noi abbiamo fatto la navigazione del canale di Beagle con fermata senza discesa sull’isola e poi Estancia Harberton,che a noi del gruppo è sembrata solo una perdita di tempo,ma è soggettivo? Ma non vai anche a Valdes? Perché li si che si cammina in mezzo ai pinguini... altro che Isla Mirtillo,è un’esperienza fantastica 😍
Written 9 December 2019
Hola me podrían decir el precio de la entrada por persona? Quiero ir este sábado en auto particular. Incluye caminata con los pinguinos el precio? Muchas gracias
Written 29 October 2019
Hola!!!! Alguien puede confirmarme si en el aseo en catamarán que incluye estancia harberton y pingüinera se baja a caminar con los pingüinos? O es avistaje desde el barco?
Muchas gracias!!!!
Written 3 February 2019
hola fran!! cuanto cuesta el alquiler de un auto por dia??
gracias!
Written 11 December 2018
Hola Fran, aproximadamente $1500.-
Written 12 December 2018
qual valor do almoço na estância?
Written 29 January 2018
Paguei 220 pesos em novembro. Valeu à pena. Praticamente o mesmo valor da cidade.
Written 29 January 2018
Ademas de uber...hay otro medio de transporte para llegar?gracias
Written 20 January 2018
No hay Uber en Ushuaia!se llega en catamaran de empresa de excursiones que se aborda en el puerto de Ushuaia
Written 20 January 2018
gianni b
Turin, Italy
Buon dia. sono venuto all'estancia Harberon due anni fa. avete da consigliarmi un libro francese o italiano per approfondire le vicende dei primi missionari in patagonia?
Written 15 November 2017
Ciao Gianni ! Vorrein un libro in italiano dalla Patagonia in generale o dall'Ushuaia in particolare ???
Written 16 November 2017
Quisiera preguntarte qué tal el camino para ir en auto? ¿Hay ripio? y en ese caso es transitable con un auto.
Gracias
Written 27 October 2017
Hola Daniela! Si es ruta y luego ripio, pero muy bien para ir en auto. El paisaje es hermoso. Obviamente a baja velocidad, porque las piedritas hacen resbalar las ruedas y te desastibiliza. Te digo porque nos paso, ibamos a velocidad moderada, porque ibamos solos en el camino y no hay nada y en una parte de ripio donde había piedras se resbalo un poco. Mas o menos del centro son 2 horas y un poquito mas tambien si paras a hacer fotos. En una parte el camino se divide en 2 y tenes para Haberton o un pueblo que no recuerdo el nombre que es de pescadores y dicen q es lindo tambien para ir. Si salis temprano podrias hacer los 2. Cualquier cosa me escribis.
Written 27 October 2017
can any one tell me what is the price for the tour --from usuaia to the pinguins and back
I need to be back on the cruise by13:00 can we make it?
irit
Written 20 November 2015
When we went in January 2015 we did so with Pira Tour, the only ones authorized to land at the pinguinera. We paid about AR$2600, which came out to about $100pp based on the exchange we paid at the time. There are other companies that do a Beagle Channel cruise that stop at the penguin colony, but you cannot go ashore, so you are limited to seeing only those penguins that are on the beach or just behind it ... our best penguin sightings -- including lots of chicks -- were on the other side of the colony, where these boats don't go. So I would recommend going only with Pira Tour.
If you go on the Pira Tour, I think you would be cutting it very close to your return to the ship -- personally I wouldn't risk it (and we didn't when our ship stopped in Ushuaia ... we went when we returned to Ushuaia for four days after the cruise). That said, contact Pira Tour directly as they might have a special time for their tour on the days when cruise ships are in town.
Written 22 November 2015
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