Seeing Humboldt Penguins with Tembeta Travel Tours - As a wildlife photographer, I am highly recommending the excellent tour services of Tembeta Travel for daytrips to the Humboldt penguin reserves north of La Serena, Chile. In January 2024, I used Viator to book two tours of the Damas Island and Chañaral de Aceituno Humboldt Penguin Reserves via Tembeta Travel to complete my quest to photograph all 19 species of penguins in the wild. I truly had a “5 star” experience through the professional efforts of Tembeta manager, Cristobal, and tour guide, Natalia, who both ensured I had numerous opportunities to photograph the Humboldt penguins and other marine-based wildlife. Both trips began with early morning van pickups at my La Serena hotel for the two-hour drive to harbors where I boarded boats for water-based cruises that allowed me to see not only Humboldt penguins but also numerous seabirds, sea lions, along with humpback and fin whales. I was especially appreciative that Tembeta provided me an English-speaking guide as I was the only person on both tours who did not speak fluent Spanish. For the Damas Island tour, we were given an hour to walk around this small island where we could explore several pathways and enjoy the antics of the recently hatched gull checks. Before returning to La Serena, our included luncheon restaurant for both tours provided meals that included beer, wine, and soft drink choices. On both trips, I enjoyed the grilled fresh fish plate lunch that became my main meal of each tour day. Overall, I found Tembeta Travel provided on-time transportation, friendly and courteous guides and, most importantly, a willingness to tailor my tour experiences to achieve my photographic needs. I can honestly say that Tembeta Travel provided me with some of the best local tour experiences in my years of international travel.

Magical day to watch the Humboldt penguins - This was a once in a lifetime experience! The local agency Tembeta is going above and beyond to make it happen, to see the Humboldt penguins. Christobal and Martin are really taking care of their guests! It was magical to watch the penguins swimming and on the small island. Also all the other wildlife was just amazing to watch. Beautiful place for lunch with a stunning view of the fisher boats and the ocean. Food was delicious! Thank you so much for this outstanding day, we will never forget!

Lots of waiting around - This was a great day out to experience local wildlife. Be careful of the day you book as not all days are allowed for docking at Isla Damas. We were only told this out after we had booked (although found out through a different tour company before booking, so we knew what to expect). It was fairly annoying to wait for over an hour at the dock to see if other "may" show up for them to fill the boat. Not obvious when you have small children to entertain. The included lunch was great.

A long frustrating day - The sea lions on the island are great to see. It’s a 2 1/2 hour ride by van to the port. The driver was very friendly and tried to speak some English. The boat trip is rough and uncomfortable. The boat guide only speaks Spanish, even though the tour literature says English speaking guide. It was frustrating to miss all the information about the islands and wildlife. I don’t recommend this tour, especially for English speakers.