Punta Arenas, Chile - Things to See and Do

What to see and do in Punta Arenas, Chile

Visited January 2024

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Punta Arenas in Chile serves as a gateway to Antarctica

Punta Arenas (Sandy Point) is one of the world's most southerly ports. Some cruise ships to Antarctica depart from Punta Arenas's port, which also serves as a hub for many cruise lines that travel along the channels and fjords of the region.

We visited Punta Arenas on 1/26/2024. While there we took a tour of the city.

Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain, passed close to the present site of Punta Arenas in 1520. Two early Spanish settlements were attempted along the coast of the Straits of Magellan in 1584 in an attempt to control the area to protect its shipping and prevent piracy by English pirates. Thomas Cavendish during his circumnavigation of the world rescued the last surviving member of Puerto del Hambre in 1587.

Punta Arenas was originally established by the Chilean government in 1848 as a small penal colony to assert sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan. In 1867, President José Joaquín Pérez issued a decree offering land grants in an effort to get Chileans and foreigners to settle around Punta Arenas.

Viator offers numerous tours in the Punta Arenas area. Click here for details.