Punta Arenas walking tour & city guide

The city

The Plaza de Armas has a statue of Magellan; touching the foot of the indigenous figure is said to bring you back. The Sara Braun Cemetery is one of the most beautiful in South America. The waterfront looks across the strait.

Penguins

Boats go to Magdalena Island, home to thousands of Magellanic penguins. Torres del Paine and Tierra del Fuego are reached from here.

A day in Punta Arenas

Visit the Plaza de Armas and touch the foot of the indigenous statue for luck. Explore the Braun-Menéndez Palace, a mansion of the wool barons.

Take a boat to Magdalena Island to see thousands of Magellanic penguins.

Good to know

Punta Arenas is the main airport for Chilean Patagonia. Penguin season runs from October to March.

The wind is strong, so dress warmly.

Why it is fascinating

Before the Panama Canal opened in 1914, ships traveling between the Atlantic and the Pacific passed through the Strait of Magellan, and Punta Arenas grew rich as a port and from huge sheep farms. The wool barons built French-style mansions around the plaza, and the Sara Braun Cemetery, with its trimmed cypress trees and grand tombs, reflects the city's mix of European immigrants, from Croatians to Britons.

The Nao Victoria Museum displays full-size replicas of Magellan's ship and other famous vessels, including Shackleton's lifeboat, the James Caird. From Punta Arenas, flights and ferries go to Tierra del Fuego, and some expedition cruises depart for Antarctica.