Punta Arenas Things to See and Do

Punta Arenas has many interesting places to explore. The broad boulevards España and Colón have monument parks, such as El Ovejero, and another one filled with statues of characters from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. Get a good view of the city and the Straits from the several miradores. Punta Arena’s wealthy residents left stunning architecture throughout the city. Be sure to check out Sara Braun’s Palace, now the Club de la Unión on the plaza, Cementerio Municipal with an entrance gate donated by Braun, and the Santuario María Auxiliadora (built 1911-18), a neo-Romanesque church designed by Padre Juan Bernabé (Bulnes and Sarmiento). One example of the city’s ethnic diversity is the Hindu temple (Paraguaya and 21 de Mayo).

Near the city are many nature reserves with abundant wildlife to observe, like Reservas Nacionales Magallanes and Laguna Parrillar, Parque Marino Francisco Coloane, penguin colonies on Isla Magdalena and at Seno Otway, and three wetlands at Tres Puentes (to the north), Agua Fresca and San Juan (to the South). In winter, many of these nature areas close. With the cold weather, though, Punta Arena offers other activities for the adventurous tourist, like ice skating at Laguna Patinaje and skiing at the Club Andino. South of Punta Arenas are Fuerte Bulnes, a Chilean fortress, Puerto del Hambre and Cabo Froward, the southern-most point of the continent of South America. These can be visited as a daytrip.

Other Activity pages in Punta Arenas that may be of interest: Around Punta Arenas Activities,