Punta Arenas
Gateway to the end of the world
About this destination
Punta Arenas sits on the western shore of the Strait of Magellan, 3,000 km south of Santiago, surrounded by steppe, sea and sky. Founded in 1848 as a penal colony, it grew into one of the wealthiest cities in South America during the wool and mutton trade era, a history still visible in its grand mansion-museums and elaborate municipal cemetery. Today the city of 130,000 is the launchpad for Torres del Paine, Tierra del Fuego and Antarctic expeditions. The waterfront, with its views across the strait to Tierra del Fuego, is one of the most evocative in South America.
Highlights
- Strait of Magellan views
- Penguin colony at Isla Magdalena
- Cementerio Municipal
- Nao Victoria Museum
Must-see stops
Isla Magdalena Penguin Colony
A 90-minute boat ride across the Strait of Magellan to a small island where over 100,000 Magellanic penguins nest between October and March. An extraordinary spectacle.
Cementerio Municipal
One of the most remarkable cemeteries in South America: elaborate mausoleums built by the Patagonian wool barons, shaded by cypress trees on a hillside above the strait.
Nao Victoria Museum
Full-scale replicas of Ferdinand Magellan's Victoria and other historic vessels, moored at the waterfront. The context of what these explorers crossed in these ships is humbling.
Mirador La Cruz
A hilltop viewpoint above the city with sweeping panoramas of the Strait of Magellan and the mountains of Tierra del Fuego on the far shore.
Combine with
These destinations pair well with Punta Arenas.
