Punta Arenas Services

Information

Municipal Tourism Office (low season: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Calle Roca, Plaza de Armas, E-mail: informacionturistica@puntaareanas.cl, URL: www.puntaarenas.cl)

Sernatur (Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Navarro 999, Tel.: 24-1330, E-mail: infomagallanes@sernatur.cl)

Conaf (Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Avenida Bulnes 309, Tel.: 23-8554)

Carabineros (Seguel 653, Tel.: 71-0635 / emergency 133)

Consulates: Argentina (21 de mayo 1878, Tel.: 26-1912), Brazil (Arauco 769, Tel.: 24-1093), Great Britain (Seguel 454, Tel.: 23-9880), Spain (Ibáñez del Campo 05730, Tel.: 23-9977)

Money

Many financial institutions are on or near Magallanes and Lautaro Navarro streets. Their hours are usually Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Most bank cajeros (ATMs) accept MasterCard, Cirrus, Visa and Plus cards, except where noted:

BBVA (Roca 899) — ATM: Visa only

BCI (Bories 837), Banco de Chile (Roca 864)

Santander (Magallanes 997)

Banco Estado (Magallanes and Montt) — ATM: only MasterCard, Cirrus; also changes US dollars and Euros. Branch at Magallanes and Menéndez (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-7p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)

For changing currencies or travelers checks, it is more convenient to go to a casa de cambio (exchange house). None are open on Sunday.

Cambios Opitz (Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Lautaro Navarro 1070)—Currencies: US dollar, Euro, Pound Sterling, Argentine peso, Brazilian real.

Cambios Sur (Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Lautaro Navarro 1001)—Travelers checks: American Express, Citi, Visa, ThomasCook, MasterCard; currencies: US dollar, Euro, Pound Sterling, Yen, various Latin American currencies.

Cambios Scott (Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Roca 907)—Currencies: US dollar, Euro, Pound Sterling, Yen, Argentine peso.

Cambios Hermandad (Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Lautaro Navarro 1099)—Travelers checks: American Express in various currencies; currencies: all major world moneys.

Western Union: Chilexpress (Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 3:30-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Bories 911).

Communications

Correos (Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Bories and Menéndez)

Internet is found throughout the city. Most cafés have Skype. Expect to pay $1-1.60 per hour. A few are: Green Internet (daily 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Nogueria 1179), Coffee Net (Seguel 670).The public library has free internet, limited to 20 minutes (Magallanes, between Colón and Menéndez). Futura is not only a cyber café, but also a phone call center; international calls from $0.70 per minute, internet $1.40 per hour (daily 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Menéndez 787).

Medical

Hospital Regional de Punta Arenas (Angamos 180, Tel.: 20-5000)

Pharmacies in Punta Arenas follow the de turno system, in which one is assigned to be open in the off-hours. Many drugstores are along Calle Bories: Farmacia Cruz Verde (Carrera Pinto and Bories), Ahumada (open 24 hours. Bories 950), Farmacias sb (Bories 683).