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A Destination for 21st Century Explorers

The tales of the brave men and women who have inhabited the Strait of Magellan come to life at Fuerte Bulnes. Your first stop should be this historical reconstruction of the fort where Chile established its first settlement in Patagonia, taking possession of the Strait of Magellan and the land around it in 1843. Puerto Hambre, where Spanish conquistadors failed to set up a permanent outpost, is located nearby.

If you're looking for company and are lucky enough to visit the area between October and March, head to Isla Magdalena (a national monument about 31km from Punta Arenas), which is home to Chile's largest colony of Magellanic penguins. Then arrange a sailing trip through Francisco Coloane Marine Park, the only place in the Southern hemisphere where humpback whales can be found feeding outside of Antarctica.

San Isidro, one of the eight lighthouses that have helped prevent shipwrecks and guide navigators through the strait for decades, is now home to a comfortable inn. This is the perfect jumping off point for those who plan to climb Mount Tarn, which was immortalized by adventurer and scientist Charles Darwin. From here you can also take a kayaking excursion along the coasts that whalers used to work. (They have long since left the area because of the moratorium on whale hunting.)

If you still have a little energy, put your trekking boots to the test on the trails of the Brunswick Peninsula, which will take you all the way to Cape Froward, the southernmost point in South America. High above it stands the Cross of the Seas, which can be reached after a 42km trek through beaches, forests, bogs and lonely mountain landscapes.

The Strait of Magellan is a great place for whale watching, penguin watching or hunting for shipwreck remains.

Featured Destinations of Southern Patagonia

Antarctica		Strait of Magellan
Punta Arenas		Tierra del Fuego
Torres del Paine National Park		Puerto Natales

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