Punta Arenas Travel Guide

Punta Arenas lies on the shore of the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of Chile, one of the southernmost cities in the world and an important hub of southern Patagonia, as well as a key gateway to Paine, Tierra del Fuego and even Antarctica, full of end-of-the-world atmosphere and maritime history. The Southern Hemisphere summer (Nov-Mar) is best, windy and cold. Its most important landmark is the Strait of Magellan it borders--separating the South American mainland from Tierra del Fuego and connecting the two oceans, named after the navigator Magellan; before the Panama Canal it was a key shipping route around South America, and the city was once a prosperous shipping hub, preserving the magnificent mansions of shipping magnates (now museums) and the Plaza de Armas (with the Magellan monument). The most popular nearby attraction is tens of thousands of Magellanic penguins nesting on strait islands such as Isla Magdalena (breeding season roughly Nov-Mar); take a boat for a close look (obey protection rules and keep distance). Many Antarctic cruises depart from here or nearby ports.