Chile Things to Do Tips by kyoub

If you are interested in the history of Punta Arenas be sure to visit the Plaza Munoz Gamero.
It is the central square of the city. In the center of the plaza is a bronze monument of Ferdinand Magellan. Around on the side streets of the plaza are old mansions that are now museums and hotels, beautifully restored churches, and shops full of sheepskin clothing.

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Address: center of the city

This may not seem like something that you want to do while on holiday but it will give you another glimpse of Punta Arenas history.
Cementerio Municipal is one of the prettiest cemetaries that I have ever visited.
As soon as you enter you will be impressed with the former wealth that was once in this area.
This is obvious by the unique mausoleums and elaborate tombstones.
There are also many old plots and newer crypts.

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Address: Buines 949
Directions: 15 minute walk from the plaza.

You can get your best views of Punta Arenas at the Cerro La Cruz , which provides breathtaking views of the city's streets, colorful tin roofs, and the sea beyond.
It is a bit of a walk to get there but worth climbing the 60 uneven steps for some pictures.

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Address: corner of Senoret and Fagnano, Punta Arenas

Porvenir is on the western side of Isla Grande de Tierre del Fuego. It can be reached by ferry from Punta Arena in around two hours or a short plane flight.
The town has a nice water front park and a small museum.
It is a nice quiet town now, nothing like it was in the gold rush years.
Most tourists come here to join a group of fisherman, birdwatchers, or hikers.
We were there to meet the person that was taking us to see the road less traveled.
The back way to Argentina.

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There is a road around the bay in Porvenir that will take you to Cerro Mirador.
From there you can see great views of the village. The bay is said to have a few flamingos but we didn't see any. We did enjoy the mirador though.

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Monumento Natural Laguna de los Cisnes is about a 20 minute drive from Porvenir.
There you will see numerous amounts of beautiful black-necked swans and maybe a flamingo or two.

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Address: Porvenir

Visit a former sheep station. The tiny village of Cameron is located near Bahia Inutil, a beautiful windswept bay. We left Lago Blanco and drove to Cameron to spend the night.
There is not much to see in Cameron but it is a quiet place to catch up on some sleep.
There are nice views of distant hills and valleys covered in wildflowers.

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Puerto Natales is a pretty, quiet town of brightly painted corrugated tin houses. It is a base for exploring Torres del Paine or just a place to relax for a couple of days before the flight back home.
It sits on the calm waters of Canal Senoret fjord and has spectacular mountain views.
We were there because we landed at the Puerto Natales airport when we flew back to Chile from Argentina.
We were there only for one night before taking a bus back to Punta Arenas. I would like to go back and see more of it.

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One of my favorite things to do while traveling through the almost deserted land of Tierre del Fuego was watching the Guanaco.

The Guanaco is a member of the llama family. They once numbered in the millions, only about 100,000 survive today in all of South America.

A Guanaco stands 43 inches tall, at the shoulders, has reddish brown hair above and white on the belly, with a greyish head. They have a long neck, small head, and muscular legs. They can run nearly 35 miles per hour and climb up hills in a flash. They also can swim.
They eat grass and plants.

It defends its self by blowing sticky liquid from its nose. That is one reason not to get to close to one.

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