In 1513, the discovery of the Pacific Ocean pushed the Europeans into a new adventure trying to find a navigable passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The main idea was to fulfill the Colombus' dream of reaching the East to trade.
Thus, seven years later, the Portuguese Fernando de
Magallanes initiated the most ambitious enterprise ever devised by man until
then. He found a place that connects both oceans and starts to go around the
world after acquiring spices in Asia.
The wonder occurred in November 1520, when the
expedition sent from Valladolid, almost a year before, began to sail the Strait
of Magellan. It is a place that allows connecting the world to every corner of
its own roundness.
The city of Punta Arenas is in the Strait of Magellan,
and its foundation was an act of daring. It was a declaration of sovereignty on
the part of the austral government. That settlement established the limits of
Chile. Today tourists, from all over the world, are grateful for the will of
the first settlers because reaching Punta Arenas is one of the most rewarding
experiences in Patagonia.
Before the creation of the Panama Canal, Punta Arenas
was the point of union between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It explains the
splendor that the city lived until 1914. For this reason, its architecture
denotes glory and pomp; in fact, there is such a marked European character
despite the fact that we are really talking about the last geographical corner
of the planet.
Punta Arenas is the world entrance to the Antarctic
continent. In fact, at least 15 countries occupy the city as a base port for
scientists attracted by the two largest freshwater reserves of the world:
Antarctica and the Southern Ice Fields.
It is necessary to know the possibilities that the
city offers to enjoy it. It goes from natural expeditions to a cultural life in
permanent movement. Then, some of the unavoidable tours that you can enjoy:
Seno Otway Penguin Colony
The journey begins navigating the waters of the Strait
of Magellan, where the first discoverers, who accompanied the Portuguese,
passed. Transcendental characters as Charles Darwin on his journey to the
Galapagos Islands passed through the Strait.
Then visitors must make a trail along the Patagonian
steppe to discover ñandúes, wild geese, condors, gulls, eagles, and foxes.
Before approaching Otway Seno you have to pass through a coal mine.
In Seno Otway, there is a huge colony of Magellanic
Penguins that arrive every year to reproduce.
Ñandú Park
The Ñandú Park is 50 km north of Punta Arenas. There,
it is possible to feed and touch these huge flightless birds. In addition, the
Patagonian ñandúes, ostriches (introduced from Africa), and Australian emus
coexist. But, the contact with the animals goes further because there are
alpacas, guanacos, cachañas, and a lot of migratory birds making the experience
unforgettable.
Punta Arenas Tour
There is not another city in the continent with more
than 100,000 inhabitants as far south as Punta Arenas. This single fact makes
this place a huge attraction. However, there is much more. A tour in this city
is to know; for example, the Cerro de la Cruz, where you can understand why
Punta Arenas is known as "the city of red roofs”, and to note the contrast
between the civilization and the still untamed Strait of Magellan.
The Plaza de Armas and the colonial buildings
surrounding also stand out. Nearby, it is also the monument to Ferdinand
Magellan and a little further the Museo Salesiano. In the museum, there are
exhibitions about the Patagonian tribes that populated the region long before
the arrival of European man.
In Punta Arenas, there is also a square in honor of the Croatian migrants and
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of the book The Little Prince.
Visiting the Glaciers in
the Alberto Agostini National Park
A boat tour is the best way to know the wonders of the
Alberto de Agostini park. There, visitors will enjoy the Darwin Mountain Range,
the vertebral column of the natural complex (35 kilometers in length). The highest
point is a mountain of 2,488 meters.
In the park is the Monte Sarmiento, whose beauty was
highlighted by Jules Verne in Twenty Thousand Leagues of an Underwater
Journey, and the French Peak, from where the Roncali and Italy glaciers
emerge.
Other glaciers can be seen in the park, and they are
Pía, Garibaldi, Günter Plushow, Águila, Brooker and the gigantic Marinelli, which
is the most extensive of the place and whose main feature is the imposing walls
of ice
Visting the Museo Regional
de Magallanes
This museum, founded in 1903, currently offers three
exhibitions, which are named Period, History and Plinth. The first allows seeing
how the Europeanized inhabitants of Punta Arenas lived at the beginning of the
20th century. The second speaks of the relationship between the region and the
city. And, the third is about the social differences within the old place that houses
the museum.
But, there is also a basement where there are
traveling exhibitions.
Enjoy an extreme experience
at the Club Andino
In Punta Arenas, it is possible skiing and to practice
other snow sports during winter. But the extreme experience does not end in the
summertime because there are other activities like trekking, canopying, the
mountain bike, and you can also enjoy the beautiful views in a chairlift.
Visit the Chilean Antarctic
A two-hour flight from Punta Arenas takes people to
the last place, a site that they never imagine in their entire lives:
Antarctica. 1,250 kilometers far there is a military track, where the adventure
starts. It is an inhospitable and original adventure that very few have done in
the world.
The main arrival point is Villa Las Estrellas, where
there is a hosteria with a capacity for 80 people among scientists, military,
and tourists. But, you can also get to Puerto Williams (after 28 hours by
boat), where there are more options and amenities in a settlement of 1,600
people.
In the Chilean Antarctic, it is the Russian Base
Bellingshausen. There, you can learn about the various scientific studies
related to polar auroras and glaciology. You can also enjoy the Torres del
Paine National Park with its peculiar fauna, and the cuisine based on king
crab, shrimp broth and several types of ceviche.
In any case, Punta Arenas is much more than everything
that you can imagine. The possibilities are added while you know in depth the
city. Each corner has something to tell, and each property is a museum directly
or indirectly.