Punta Arenas is one of the southernmost cities on earth. Situated at about 54 degrees south, only Ushuaia in Argentina is further south.

History
It straddles the Strait of Magellan and was founded in 1849 to reinforce Chilean sovereignty over this important trade route. At first, its prosperity rose and fell with that trade: rising with the California Gold Rush and falling with the opening of the Panama Canal. Later, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the city reached even greater prosperity as the centre of Chile's international wool trade. During this time, there was a catastrophic decline in the indigenous population, namely the Onas and Yaganes.

Today it is an important trading centre for wool and hides, mutton, timber and fish and the supply centre for the oil industry on the nearby archipelago of Tierra del Fuego. It is also the starting point for excursions to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Population in 1998 was 125,631.

Discovered in 1520 by the Portuguese navigator Hernando de Magallanes, the Strait of Magellan curves from east to west between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is 583 kms long an its width varies from 3 kms to 40 kms. This strait gained importance because of its strategic location as an international shipping route. Today its importance also lies in its history and marine life.

These sites can be visited independently or on a city tour organised by a local tour operator. Prices on request.

The Cerro de la Cruz offers breathtaking views of the city. Take Senoret street to Colon avenue, turn left and walk uphill for two blocks. From there, Tierra del Fuego can also be seen as well as Monte Sarmiento and the southern part of the Brunswick Peninsula. Wrecks of old sailing ships are visible in the distance.

Continue on the city’s main streets and avenues
to the Plaza Munoz Gamero, which features a monument to Magellan. Here opulent mansions – the homes at one time of pioneers who settled here and made fortunes in the wool and livestock industries. Costanera Avenue offers beautiful views of the strait and the bustling activity of the harbour. Along the streets of the city you can see many monuments: the shepherd which represents the workers’ struggle as well as the dog, the horse and the sheep that made the region rich. Proceed to the cemetery where the tombs of pioneers have been exceptionally well preserved among well kept gardens and Cypress stands.

Take a taxi to the Zona Franca on the outskirts of the city to find stores selling electrical equipment and other items at good prices. There are also supermarkets (Abu Gosch) selling English and American chocolates and sweets.

Museo Salesiano de Mayonino Borgatello
Founded by an order of Italian missionaries and the Centro Cultural Braun-Menendez and housed in the mansion of one of the city’s most prosperous families, this museum provides visitors with an eclectic introduction to virtually every aspect of the region and documents its history as well as the lives of the Yagane, Ona and Alacalufe peoples.

The Centro Cultural
Furnished with fine European antiques, Italian marble floors and grand ceiling frescos, this grand mansion reflects the economic stature of Punta Arenas before the Panama Canal was completed. It offers insights into the lives of a prosperous Punta Arenas trading family.

This theatre sits on the site where the first port in Punta Arenas was built in 1848. The building was donated to the city by Jose Menendez, a pioneering businessmen.

This cemetery is interesting because of the huge mausoleums built years ago by the area’s wealthy families. Jose Menendez has one of the most imposing mausoleums. It is a smaller version of the Victor Manuel monument in Rome. The cemetery also contains a memorial to the indigenous people of the region.

This interesting scientific and technological research centre has a library, a botanical garden a handicraft store and the Museo Del Recuerdo (old time museum), with a collection of restored carriages, machines and tools used in pioneering times. There is also a maritime exhibit, a preserved garage and an example of a typical house from colonial times. The institute is located on the edge of town, 3.5 kms north of Route 9.

Around the Plaza de Armas are government buildings, the Club de la Union and mansions with turrets, beautiful roofs, glassed-in sunrooms and well kept gardens with huge araucaria trees (monkey puzzle trees). The Plaza itself is full of huge, old trees and in the centre is the Monumento a Hernando de Magallanes. Note that the toes of one of the bronze Indians is polished and shiny. Local legend states that everyone who touches these toes will return to Punta Arenas someday, making the statue a favourite with tourists and local inhabitants alike.

We will be happy to reserve any of these tours on behalf of our clients. Please inquire for prices and to book your place.

Both of these sites are located about 60 kms south of Punta Arenas. They are interesting primarily for their historical significance. Puerto del Hambre was an early Spanish settlement along the Strait of Magellan, and Fuerte Bulnes established Chilean authority over the region. To reach these sites, you can either hire a car or take an organised excursion (half-day trip).

The penguin colony is located 65 kms north of Punta Arenas on Seno Otway (Otway inlet) along the northwest of the Brunswick Peninsula. The cute burrowing Magellanic penguins return annually to this spot between October and March to lay eggs and raise their young. At the site you can wander along the well planned trails to the middle of a natural reserve filled with penguin burrows. This provides a good opportunity to see the comic antics of these delightful and defenceless creatures close up (half day trip).

This island and its neighbouring islet Marta is home to tens of thousands of Magellanic penguins, cormorants, other birds and sea lions. Both islands make up the Monumento Natural Los Pinguinos found 25 nautical miles north of Punta Arenas. The estimated population of the penguins on these two islands is more than 50,000 penguin pairs. The boat trip to Isla Magdalena offers contrasting views to the west and east of the strait. On the west coast can be seen the Tres Puentes area, the village of Rio Seco and other small settlements along the shore. Industrial centres and oil production centres can be seen in the distance, such as Bahia Laredo and Cabo Negro. Towards the east, the coast of Tierra del Fuego looms flat and long. In front of Isla Magdalena can be seen the deep Bahia Gente Grande (large people bay), named by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa four centuries ago in reference to the tall indigenous Onas (Day trip with lunch, $30. Departures: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)

From Punta Arenas the Strait of Magellan can be crossed by ferry. The trip takes around three hours, its destination the legendary Tierra del Fuego. The crossing provides views of Punta Arenas and the surrounding mountains. Lunch is provided. A visit to the Provincial Museum gives an insight into Tierra del Fuego’s previous inhabitants, the Onas, as well as the pioneering Croatians and people from Chiloe, an island to the north of Punta Arenas. The tour goes as far as Bahia Inutil, visiting Laguna Barrosa, Los Canelos campground and the Pecaran pass. The return to Punta Arenas is by air on a regular flight which takes about 20 minutes. Please inquire for prices, availability and scheduling.

With a range of three, four or seven-night packages from October to April each year, these cruises pass through the Strait of Magellan and the Beagle Channel between Chile and Argentina. Scenic highlights include wild fjords, deserted bays, towering glaciers and remote islands housing seals, penguins and other exotic wildlife. This boat travels between Punta Arenas and the Argentine city of Ushuiaia in Tierra del Fuego. Land excursions with lectures on the region’s flora, fauna, geography and history take place during the cruise. The Mare Australis sails as far as the legendary Cape Horn, the last headland before arriving at Antartica and the place where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet. Please contact us for more information, prices and availability.

Punta Arenas has hotels to suit every taste and budget. We are happy to reserve these on behalf of clients. Below is a list of those we like. Prices range from US$15 per head for a room at the popular and comfortable Hostal Calafate to a suite at a top hotel for over US$200. We use the first three most frequently.

Lib Bernardo O’Higgins 723
Tel +56 (61) 225 618
Centrally located, comfortable small hotel which we will include on our scheduled rides from January 1 2005. Excellent value.

Singles US$48; doubles US$66; triples: US$76.

Av. Colon 556
Tel +56 (61) 247 987
Centrally located and comfortable budget hotel. Helpful front desk and small restaurant serving breakfast. All rooms have en suite facilities, phone and TV. Good value.

Singles US$45; doubles US$65 (including breakfast).

Magallanes 922
Tel +56 (61) 241 281
Centrally located and excellent value. Various rooms available from hostal style to private with en suite facilities. All have TVs and are clean and comfortable. Internet café downstairs.
Shared bath: S: $35, D: $54, T:$69 (American breakfast)
Priv bath: S:$54, D:$77, T:$94 (American breakfast)

Fagnano 356
Tel +56 (61) 249 401
Central and pretty hostal offering comfortable accommodation (some en suites) and great value.

Singles US$60; doubles US$75; triples: US$84 (including breakfast).

Av. Colon 716
Tel +56 (61) 226 200
Good comfortable central hotel with added bonus of a good Pub downstairs (Pub 1900, see below). Friendly with good English-speaking front desk. Large rooms, some with kitchenettes. Nice light dining room.

Singles US$98; doubles US$118; T:$130 (including buffet breakfast).

Bories 959
Tel +56 (61) 248 840
Opulent and luxurious hotel centrally located in one of the town’s finest and most historic mansions. All 25 rooms are different with fine decorations and en suite facilities. Two dining rooms and all the facilities of a first-class hotel.

Singles US$149; doubles US$179; suites: US$279 (including American breakfast).

Tel +56 (61) 228 200
Av. Colon 766
Good centrally located hotel with comfortable rooms and restaurant.

Singles US$140; doubles US$160; triples US$190 (including breakfast).

Plaza Munoz Gamero 1025
Tel +56 (61) 242 134
Large traditional European-style hotel situated close to the Plaza de Armas. Good facilities.

Singles US$180; doubles US$200; T:$290 (including breakfast).

21 de Mayo 1243
Tel +56 (61) 248 220
Elegant, traditional English-style hotel situated in historic building. Good facilities in each of its 25 rooms. Also offers the popular El Galeon bar serving regional and international food. Restaurant, the Farmer, reputed to be very good.

Singles US$119; doubles US$146; triples US$172; suite: $199 (including American breakfast).

Tel +56 (61) 311 131
Estancia-style hotel situated about 45 minutes from Punta Arenas (towards Puerto Natales). Forms part of a small settlement town beside the river. Riding and fishing available on request. Owners very friendly and speak some English. Small museum nearby and beautiful surroundings. Transfers available on request for $60 each way.

Singles US$117; doubles US$155 (including dinner and breakfast).

1116 Nogueira
Tel +56 (61) 241 300
Situated adjacent to the Plaza de Armas, this comfortable hotel has good sized rooms and a central location. This is asmallish hotel with 17 rooms and a restaurant serving meals. All rooms have en suite facilities, a phone and a TV.

Singles US$78; doubles US$95; triples US$115 (all include continental breakfast). Suites and larger rooms available.

Tel +56 ( 61) 245365
Punta Arenas’s most popular local restaurant. Good value.

1469 21 de Mayo Tel +56 (61) 241 029
Excellent wild and organic local game and meat. Great atmosphere. High end but great food, superb ambience and unique menu. Dinner with wine around US$35 per head.

O’Higgins 1021 Tel +56 (61) 223 463
Small informal restaurant with good food and huge servings.

Great set menus and good coffee. Popular for lunches.

below the Tierra del Fuego Hotel, Av Colon 716
Tel +56 (61) 226 200
Good sandwiches and beers. Bar is a popular local meeting place.


Lautaro Navarro 999,
Tel +56 (61) 241527

Tourist Information Office
Sernatur, Waldo Seguel 698
Tel +56 (61) 241 330.

Money changers are on every block as are local travel agencies for booking local tours and excursions. Local currency can be obtained at any money changer, hotel or bank. The best currency to use is US dollars as they are also widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops. Local currency can also be obtained from ATMs if you have a pin number.

There is an excellent internet café in the Hostal Calafate situated in the centre of town at Magallanes 922. International call centres are also widely available. For local calls, purchase a phonecard from either a CTC or an Entel call centre.

Hotels will provide maps of the city and local information. They can also order taxis, which in Punta Arenas are generally safe and reliable. Taxis can also be hailed in the street if the light on top is lit. They all run on meters except for longer trips when the fare should be agreed before the journey.

Taxis from the airport are available as are transfer minibuses, which are usually cheaper. The journey time from the airport is about 15 minutes and the taxi fare is normally around US$15 to US$20. Transfers in a group minibus can be as little as US$7 per person. BlueGreen can also arrange private transfers on request.