Positioned on the Strait of Magellan, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans within the southernmost a part of Chile, the city of Punta Arenas is a standard base for vacationers exploring the wilderness of Southern Patagonia.
Punta Arenas is a novel vacation spot, because it permits vacationers to benefit from the comforts of town whereas being near nature reserves and wildlife sights close by.
In case you are planning a visit to Patagonia, it’s value including a couple of days to your itinerary to discover Punta Arenas and the close by sights.
Greatest Time to Go to Punta Arenas
Seasons are reversed within the Southern Hemisphere, so when the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing winter, locations south of the equator are having fun with their summer season. So the perfect season to go to Punta Arenas and the area of Southern Patagonia is through the North American winter.
From mid-November by early March the climate in Punta Arenas is the warmest, however that is additionally when most vacationers select to tour the area, so lodging and tour costs are at their peak.
Braving the chilly winds throughout our go to in April
Scheduling a visit in the Spring (September by mid-November) or Fall (mid-March by Could) ensures that you’ve good climate with fewer crowds. Though the climate is usually a bit unpredictable within the shoulder season, it’s definitely worth the danger to keep away from the crowds.
Issues to Do in Punta Arenas
The city of Punta Arenas provides a large number of sights together with some that may be visited by yourself and some extra that required a tour.
Go to the Municipal Cemetery
It might sound like an odd advice, however the Municipal Cemetery has been ranked by CNN as one of many 10 most lovely cemeteries on the earth and is ranked because the #1 Factor to do in Punta Arenas in line with TripAdvisor. The Cemetery is positioned within the metropolis centre and is a superb place to study a little bit of the historical past of this distinctive city.
Admire the Views from Mirador Cerro De La Cruz
This beautiful viewpoint positioned a brief stroll away from town centre provides a fantastic panoramic view of town and in addition to the Magellan Strait.
Overlooking the colorful rooftops of Punta Arenas, Patagonia, Chile
Go to Magallanes Nationwide Reserve
Magallanes Nationwide Reserve is positioned simply 5km (3.1miles) outdoors of town centre and options many strolling trails by the wilderness and supply beautiful views of town itself. The principle trails throughout the Nationwide Reserve are Boca Toma Path, Las Lengas Circuit, Los Ñirres Circuit and Los Coigües Circuit. Remember the fact that attributable to climate, the reserve is barely opened between the months of October-March.
Discover Laguna Parrillar Nationwide Reserve
Laguna Parrillar Nationwide Reserve is a bit farther away – 30km (18.6miles) – however can also be a well-liked vacation spot for hikers and nature lovers. The reserve is house to quite a lot of wildlife, together with pumas, black carpenter, foxes, Chilean otters, beavers and numerous numerous birds.
There are 2 foremost trails within the reserve: Chorrillo Hermoso (1.5km) and El Nono (1 km), each are self-guided family-friendly trails that begin within the self-guided household tour trails that begin within the leisure space.
Go to the Nao Victoria Museum
For these inquisitive about Magellan’s ships, the Nao Victoria Museum showcases 4 reproduction boats to discover. The Regional Museum of Magellan provides insights into his journey and discoveries.
Museo Nao Victoria, Punta Arenas, Chile. Photograph by Steven dos Remedios by way of Flickr
Rub the Foot of Ferdinand Magellan
The realm contains many historic websites devoted to the Portuguese explorer, Magellan. It’s stated that you should have good luck should you rub the foot of the Memorial to Ferdinand Magellan statue positioned in the primary sq. of Plaza Munoz Gamero.
Greatest Excursions in Punta Arenas
There are some things you may discover within the metropolis, however highlights of this area can solely be skilled on a tour.
Metropolis Tour
In case you are brief on time and need to squeeze all of the Punta Arenas sights and sights in sooner or later, contemplate taking this guided metropolis tour. You’ll go to the Mirador Cerro de la Cruz, Plaza Muñoz Gamero, go to Salesiano Maggiorino Borgatello Museum and get to know the northern a part of town and its monuments.
Isla Magdalena & Matra Island Day Tour
The spotlight of our go to to Punta Arenas was a day journey to Isla Magdalena to see the Magellanic penguins. Isla Magdalena is the second-largest Magellanic penguin colony in South America that receives greater than 120,000 penguins yearly.
Magellanic penguin poses for a photograph on Isla Magdalena, Patagonia, Chile
This tour is normally mixed with a go to to Marta Island, which hosts a colony of greater than 1000 Patagonian sea lions, in addition to copious birdlife.
Tierra del Fuego Day Tour
This all-day tour begins with a scenic ferry journey by the Strait of Magellan that can take you to Tierra del Fuego, the place you’ll go to King Penguin Park and watch King Penguins of their pure habitat. The tour additionally visits Cerro Sombrero village, and San Gregorio, an previous farm that belonged to Jose Menendez, a pioneering farmer of the area.
Crusing Journey Round Cape Froward
Cape Froward, probably the most southern level in Chile is house to many glaciers, whales, dolphins, and the Magellan Penguins. This all-day tour to Cape Froward means that you can get pleasure from wildlife and admire the distinctive panorama of mountains, glaciers, Lenga, and Coihue forests.
Greatest Motels in Punta Arenas
The city of Punta Arenas provides numerous lodging choices starting from costly accommodations to small B&Bs and hostels. There are additionally a couple of eco-friendly choices on the town.
- Lodge Boutique La Yegua Loca: This beautiful resort is run by native descendants of Croatian pioneers, born and raised in Patagonia. The resort itself was in-built 1929 and has been modernized to incorporate gardens and an on-site restaurant that makes use of regional merchandise and has alternatives for vegans and vegetarians.
- La Casa Escondida: Positioned 15km (9.3miles) north of town is the wooded lodge of La Casa Escondida. It’s particularly handy in case you are flying in or out of the airport because the lodge is positioned in between the airport and the downtown space of Punta Arenas. The family-run lodging provides complimentary breakfast and an on-site sauna.
- Hostel Innata, a small locally-run B&B that provides cozy rooms, personal bogs with nice showers, quick wifi, and a pleasant eating space the place heat breakfast is served each day. Nini, the proprietor, and Gonzalo had been extremely pleasant, useful and accommodating throughout our keep.
Greatest Eating places in Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas is located by the water, so there may be quite a lot of recent seafood out there in addition to regional flavours.
La Yegua Loca Restaurant: The restaurant provides hearty meals and prides itself on using recent seafood and regional produce.
La Marmita: This centrally positioned restaurant provides scrumptious meals and an intensive tea menu
Cafe Sarmiento: This quaint restaurant provides among the best views of town together with a gentle fare, espresso, lunch, cocktails, and desserts.
Amaranta Tea Home: Set lunch menu with espresso/tea, foremost and dessert for a really cheap worth.
How one can Get to Puntas Arenas
The quickest strategy to attain Punta Arenas is to take a flight from Santiago. There are 10 flights a day that go between the 2 cities, and the centre of Puntas Arenas is about 19km (12miles) from the airport.
In case you are renting a automobile, Puntas Arenas is sort of 3 hours from Puerto Natales by way of Route 9. Due to the shoreline, there could also be sturdy winds, so in case you are headed to tour Punta Arenas by automobile, it’s best to concentrate on the wind as you might be driving. In the event you want to journey by bus, the identical route from Puerto Natales might be a 4-hour bus trip from Punta Arenas.
When contemplating what to do in Punta Arenas, consider that it’s a place that pleases quite a lot of tastes. For many who crave metropolis life, there are a lot of websites to see as you tour Punta Arenas.
If nature and wildlife are extra your cup of tea, there are parks, reserves, and quite a lot of wildlife excursions. Punta Arenas means that you can observe pure habitats and expertise the tradition all whereas having fun with the Chilean shoreline.