While visiting Chiloe Island, we had seen a few of the 16 wooden churches designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.  On the way to Punihuil Wildlife Preserve, we stopped by the Museum of the Churches of Chiloe to learn about how these churches had been restored.

(For all photos, especially panoramas, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Next, we were off to see the penguins!  And, yes, it was another gorgeous, sunny, calm day—perfect weather for a boat ride!  Mother Nature sure was kind to us throughout our travels!

When we arrived at the boat launch, I was surprised to see that vehicles were permitted on the beach.  We drove right up to the site, collected our life jackets, and boarded a cart that was pushed down the shoreline directly to the boat.  No wet shoes on this boat trip!  I had never seen anything like it.

Punihuil Wildlife Preserve is comprised of three rocky islets off the coast declared a National Monument to protect the breeding colony of Humboldt and Magellanic penguins.  The best time to visit is October thru mid-March, so we were fortunate to see the penguins before they ventured back out to sea. 

Although the boat was able to maneuver quite close to the islets for a good look, there was some boat movement with the current making photography of the birds a challenge.  I needed to back off the zoom to get sharper shots, so these photos have been cropped.

These cuties are Magellanic penguins.  They grow to be 24-30 inches tall and weigh 6-14 pounds:

Humboldt penguins, which range in size from 22-28 inches, have some pink in their face, so this is one here:

It was so exciting to see the penguins in their natural habitat, rather than at Sea World!

When we returned to the beach, our group had a seafood lunch at this restaurant with a beautiful view:

It was a lovely day for a walk on the beach afterwards, and Andrea snagged us for another “seeing double” fun photo:

Visiting Chiloe Island was a wonderful experience, but it was time to take the ferry back to the mainland for more adventures.  We returned to Puerto Varas and were ecstatic to see a clear view of the volcanoes!  Bruce and I grabbed an ice cream and headed out to enjoy the amazingly clear views, savoring one last evening in Puerto Varas before flying south to Punta Arenas, our southernmost city of the tour.

Coming up next: ARGENTINA & CHILE #12: PLEASANT PUNTA ARENAS