To begin adventure trips to Tierra del Fuego and Magallanes Strait, Punta Arenas is the best starting point to visit these great attractions.

You can also walk by its streets and comply with a Magellan tradition: touch the foot of aonikenk indian at Magallanes monument, located in Munoz Gamero Main Square. People say that if a person does it, will return to Patagonia.

In Punta Arenas can be visited Magallanes Regional Museum and take a coffee in the basement of this former palace, that was originally a servants area, to appreciate its art gallery, a collection of antique objects and furniture of house built by businessman Mauricio Braun in 1903 using only wood from Europe.

To find out more melancholic beauty, transit the quiet paths of Municipal Cemetery, one of the most beautiful and best care in South America. Its finely arranged cypress, mausoleums, gardens and extravagant tombs of great Magellan history characters such as Jose Menendez, a livestock businessman of the past century, mixed with memories of hard-working immigrants and sailors who made Magallanes the final destiny of their lives.

Note that Punta Arenas is a tax-free zone. If you want to buy souvenirs or items required for trips to Torres del Paine, Puerto Natales, Magallanes Strait and Tierra del Fuego, you can visit a site of 13 hectares that comprise this Zofri (tax-free zone).

How to get there

By plane. Airport Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, 21 km north of Punta Arenas, receives daily flights from Santiago and Puerto Montt. The trip takes about 4 hours from the capital of Chile.

In Bus. Punta Arenas can be reached from Argentina, through five border crosses. There are transport companies that make Punta Arenas-Osorno trip in one and a half days through argentine territory. Bus terminal at corner of Magallanes and Colon streets is the place where you can book tickets. In streets near by Colon there are more bus offices to buy tickets.

By Car. As noted above, Punta Arenas is accessible from Argentina by five border crosses. From Santiago, travel on Route 5 south to Osorno, then take Puyehue international route to Cardenal Samore border pass and cross into Argentina. Tio cross to Chile and Punta Arenas, take route 255 and Monte Aymond border pass.

Activities and Attractions

In Punta Arenas is Maggiorino Borgatello Salesian Museum, shows a complete history, flora, fauna and trade. It highlights the samples of Father Alberto de Agostini, in addition to his missionary work, was a great climber and filmmaker. He realized the only pictures of the original inhabitants of Magallanes. There is also the Punta Arenas Naval and Maritime Museum . Among its thousands historical pieces are remains of vessels, such as Doterel corvette, which is 15 meters deep and 300 meters from the seafront Arturo Prat.

In Punta Arenas is worth to visit Sara Braun Palace, where it discovers how ancient great farmers lived in early twentieth century.

The hilltop of La Cruz offers an unbeatable postal of Punta Arenas. Its panoramic view of the red, blue and yellow roofs of the city, Tierra del Fuego, Sarmiento hill and south area of Brunswick Peninsula is especially spectacular when sun rises in Magallanes Strait.

From Punta Arenas is possible to travel to Otway sound (70 km north), rather than scientific and tourist attraction, where is La Pinguinera, with a population of approximately 6,000 penguins of different species.

The route to ​​Rio Verde and Skyring sound area is very attractive for fishing and picnics during which you can observe a variety of wildlife, highlighting rheas, condors, swans and flamingos. This area of ​​pastoral and beautiful scenery with a wide range of agro-tourism.

To south of Punta Arenas can be visited Brunswick peninsula coast in so-called historic route. Ever passed through it discoverers, conquerors, Indians, settlers and pioneers. This route leads to interesting attractions like Bulnes fort and Puerto del Hambre, places steeped in legend.