Guide · Punta Arenas

Things to do in Punta Arenas, on land and on the water

Most visitors come for the wildlife, but the things to do in Punta Arenas start in town: a grand square, a famous cemetery, good museums and views over the strait. Here is how to fill a few days.

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Editorial team, puntaarenaswhalewatching.comUpdated October 22, 20266 min read39 sources

On this topic: the tour Whales and Glaciers Full Day from Punta Arenas 4.8 (394 reviews) 12 hoursWhales, glaciers, Cabo FrowardBreakfast, lunch and a snack from$365per person Check availabilityCancel free of charge up to 24 hrs ahead

The shortlist

01In town: Plaza Muñoz Gamero, the Palacio Sara Braun and the Magellan monument.¹
02Cemetery: A national monument since 2012.²
03Museums: The Borgatello dates from 1893.³
04Nature: Reserva Nacional Magallanes, 7 km west of the center.⁴
05On the water: Whales, penguins and dolphins from $145.

Start at the main square

Punta Arenas is the capital of the Magallanes region, and its heart is Plaza Muñoz Gamero.⁵ Chile's tourism board suggests starting a city walk there, with the Palacio Sara Braun and the Magellan monument, and then heading up to the Cerro La Cruz viewpoint for a panorama over the city.¹ From the top you can see the grid of colored roofs running down to the water and, on clear days, the strait stretching away beyond the port.

The Magellan monument at the center of the square was inaugurated in 1920 for the fourth centenary of the strait's discovery, and it is a 10-meter bronze sculpture.⁶ A legend holds that kissing the foot of the Patagonian figure at its base guarantees your return to the city.¹ You will see people lining up to do exactly that. Whether or not you believe it, it makes a cheerful photograph.

Facing the square, the Palacio Sara Braun was declared a Historic Monument in 1981.⁷ Its façade gives a sense of the wealth that once flowed through this port, and the streets around the plaza hold more mansions of the same era. A slow lap of the square and the blocks around it is the best introduction to the city. Cafés around the square make a good base for a coffee between sights.

A short stay

A simple plan for Punta Arenas

First day

The city

Square, monument and Cerro La Cruz.¹
First afternoon

Cemetery and museum

The cemetery is open daily until 19:00.⁸
Second day

Whales

A 12-hour day to the marine park.
Third day

Penguins

A 5-hour trip to Isla Magdalena.
Third evening

Cooking class

1.5 to 3 hours with Chilean wine.

The Punta Arenas cemetery

The Punta Arenas cemetery is one of the city's most visited sights, and it is not as gloomy as it sounds. It covers 4 hectares, with an esplanade and a central square crowned by a large cross.⁹ Its portico was built between 1918 and 1923, and the whole cemetery was declared a National Monument in 2012.²

Chile Travel lists its opening hours as Monday to Sunday, 8:00 to 19:00.⁸ Go in the morning light, when the long avenues of clipped cypress trees cast clear shadows, and allow an hour to wander between the family mausoleums and the simpler graves along the side paths. Photographers love it on bright days, when the pale tombs and dark trees stand out against the sky.

If you take a guided city tour, the cemetery is usually on the route. The three-hour sightseeing tour on GetYourGuide stops at the Plaza de Armas, Cerro de la Cruz, the shore of the strait, the cemetery and the Monumento al Ovejero. A guide brings the family stories behind the grand tombs to life.

How far

Kilometers from Punta Arenas

Distances as Chile Travel, CONAF and the national monuments council give them.¹⁰ ⁴ ¹¹ ¹² ¹³ ¹⁴

At a glance

The main sights and how to reach them

Sight	Where	What you see	Getting there
Plaza Muñoz Gamero	City center	Palace and Magellan monument	On foot
Municipal cemetery	In town	Mausoleums and cypress avenues	On foot or taxi
Museo Nao Victoria	7 km north	Ship replicas	Taxi or car
Reserva Nacional Magallanes	7 km west	Forest trails	Car or taxi only
Fuerte Bulnes	58 km south	Fort and coast	Tour or car
Isla Magdalena	35 km northeast	Penguin colony	Boat tour

Distances from Chile Travel, CONAF and the national monuments council; boat and fort trips book through tour listings.¹⁰ ⁴ ¹⁵ ¹³ ¹²

Three ways to spend a day

City, sea or kitchen?

Punta Arenas: Sightseeing tour in the world's southernmost city

Half a day

City highlights

Square to cemetery

Duration: 3 hrs
Rating: 4.76
Reviews: 33
Price: from $80

See this tour

Most reviewed

Whales and glaciers

The booked tour

Duration: 12 hrs
Rating: 4.84
Reviews: 394
Price: from $365

See this tour

Punta Arenas: Chilean cooking lessons + Chilean wine

Evening option

Cooking class

With Chilean wine

Duration: 1.5 to 3 hrs
Rating: 4.92
Reviews: 30
Price: from $87

See this tour

Decision helper

What should you do first?

Match the plan to your interests

The whale day

It sails to the marine park past Cabo Froward.

Penguins or dolphins

The dolphin trip lasts 3.5 hours.

Fuerte Bulnes

The fort is a national Historic Monument.¹³

The museums

The Borgatello dates from 1893.³

Reserva Nacional Magallanes

It is a 10-minute drive from the city.¹⁶

Museums in Punta Arenas

There are good museums in Punta Arenas for a rainy afternoon. The Museo Regional de Magallanes is housed in the Braun-Menéndez mansion, donated to the state in 1984 with some of its furniture, so eight of its rooms look as they did when the family lived there.¹⁷ The rooms are a vivid picture of how the wealthiest families of the region lived, from the dining room to the bedrooms.

The Museo Salesiano Maggiorino Borgatello dates from 1893 and calls itself the third-oldest museum in Chile.³ Its collections cover the peoples, fauna, flora, history, paleontology and archaeology of Magallanes, which makes it a good primer before your boat trips.³

For maritime history, the Museo Nao Victoria lies 7 km north of the city.¹⁰ It is an open-air museum of full-scale replicas of historic ships, including the ship Magellan used on his expedition.¹⁰ Climbing aboard puts the voyages you read about in the city's monuments into perspective. Combine it with a stop on the drive back from the airport if you have a car.

Map

From Punta Arenas to the whales, the penguins and beyond

The strait south of the city to Cabo Froward and Isla Carlos III, the penguin islands and Tierra del Fuego, and the wider south from Torres del Paine to Ushuaia.

Map of the Strait of Magellan south of Punta Arenas with Fuerte Bulnes, the San Isidro lighthouse, Cabo Froward and Isla Carlos III in the western channels — South along the strait

Map of the eastern strait with Punta Arenas, Isla Magdalena and Isla Marta, Porvenir, Parque Pingüino Rey on Bahía Inútil and the Primera Angostura crossing — Penguin islands and Tierra del Fuego

Map of southern Patagonia with Punta Arenas airport, Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine and Ushuaia — Southern Patagonia

1
Punta Arenas
Capital of the Magallanes region, founded in 1848.⁵ ¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗
2
Fuerte Bulnes
Inaugurated in 1843; a national Historic Monument 58 km south of the city.¹⁹ ¹³
In Google Maps ↗
3
San Isidro lighthouse
70 km south of Punta Arenas and more than 100 years old.¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
4
Cabo Froward
Where the American continental landmass ends; the whale boat passes it for 30 minutes.²⁰
In Google Maps ↗
5
Isla Carlos III
Humpback presence around the island peaks from December to March.²¹
In Google Maps ↗
6
Isla Magdalena
About 7,000 pairs of Magellanic penguins nest here, 35 km northeast of the city.²² ¹²
In Google Maps ↗
7
Isla Marta
Sea lions and imperial cormorants; landing is prohibited.²³ ²⁴
In Google Maps ↗
8
Porvenir
About 2 hours by ferry from Punta Arenas.²⁵
In Google Maps ↗
9
Parque Pingüino Rey
King penguins at Bahía Inútil, 115 km from Porvenir.²⁶
In Google Maps ↗
10
Primera Angostura
The 20-minute ferry crossing to Tierra del Fuego.²⁷
In Google Maps ↗
11
Punta Arenas airport
20 km north of the city, with daily flights from Santiago.¹¹
In Google Maps ↗
12
Puerto Natales
About 250 km north of Punta Arenas by paved road.²⁸
In Google Maps ↗
13
Torres del Paine
National park since 1959, 112 km from Puerto Natales to the Sarmiento entrance.²⁹ ³⁰
In Google Maps ↗
14
Ushuaia
293 km beyond the San Sebastián border.³¹
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Making the most of Punta Arenas

Book ahead

The whale day and a penguin trip
A spare day for weather
A car or taxi for the forest reserve

Bring

Windproof and waterproof layers
Good walking shoes
Sunglasses for the long summer light

Cost calculator

What your days out cost

Starting totals for each trip, by group size.

Whales and glaciersFull dayfrom $365 Magdalena penguinsHalf dayfrom $160 City highlightsThree hoursfrom $80 Cooking classEveningfrom $87

People 2

Total from$730

per guest from $365

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Totals multiply each trip's lowest GetYourGuide starting fare by your party size and convert it at the European Central Bank rate; your date and option fix the real amount at checkout.

Video

48 Hours PUNTA ARENAS Travel Guide: Best Things To Do, Historic Ships, Seafood & More in Chile!

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Forest, fort and lighthouse

Nature starts just outside town. Reserva Nacional Magallanes lies on the Brunswick Peninsula, 7 km west of the center, and it was created in 1932.⁴ ³² Chile Travel gives its hours as 9:00 to 17:00 daily, closing at 16:00 on Fridays, and puts it a 10-minute drive from the city.¹⁶ There is no regular public transport, so you need a car or a taxi.¹⁵ The trails lead through forest with views back over the city on a clear day.

South along the coast, Fuerte Bulnes and the ruins of Puerto del Hambre sit inside the Parque del Estrecho de Magallanes.³³ The park covers 250 hectares, and on its shore you may see seabirds, sea lions and, with luck, whales and dolphins.³⁴ Half-day tours start from $46. Pack a picnic, as there is little to buy once you leave town.

Further still, Faro San Isidro lies 70 km south of Punta Arenas and is more than 100 years old.¹⁴ A guided trek to the lighthouse lasts 8 hours with pickup, from $65. The walk follows a wild stretch of coast with views across the strait.

Whales, penguins and dolphins

The water is the main event. The full-day trip to the Francisco Coloane Marine Park sails the strait past Cabo Froward for whale watching, wildlife and glaciers, and it lasts 12 hours from $365. Humpback presence there peaks from December to March.²¹

Closer to town, the Magellanic penguin colony on Isla Magdalena lies 35 km northeast of Punta Arenas, and boats run between October and mid-April.¹² ³⁵ The most reviewed trip adds a look at the sea lions of Isla Marta and lasts 5 hours. Morning departures leave the afternoon free for the city.

For a shorter outing, a dolphin and wildlife trip to Agua Fresca Bay lasts 3.5 hours with hotel pickup, from $190. It is a good choice for a half-day or for travelers who would rather not spend a whole day on a boat. Keep your camera ready from the moment the boat leaves the shore.

Is Punta Arenas worth visiting?

Is Punta Arenas worth visiting for its own sake, or only as a gateway? It is the jumping-off point for humpbacks, Magellanic and king penguins and the road north to Torres del Paine, and its airport has daily flights from Santiago.¹¹ That alone makes it worth a few days.

The city itself rewards a slower look. Its population was counted at 132,363 in the 2024 census, large enough for good restaurants and museums but small enough to walk.³⁶ The waterfront, the square and the cemetery fill a day without effort. Locals are used to visitors and happy to point you to their favorite café or viewpoint.

Come prepared for the climate. Chile Travel describes it as subpolar oceanic, with low temperatures all year and strong winds, and calls footwear, windbreakers and waterproofs essential.³⁷ With the right clothes, the wind becomes part of the character of the place rather than a problem.

Shopping, food and rainy days

The city's free-trade zone is a local institution. Zonaustral has run the Zona Franca since August 2007, and it lies at Avenida Bulnes km 3.5, north of the center.³⁸ ³⁹ It is a practical stop for outdoor gear if you arrive short of a warm layer. Allow an hour or two if you like to browse.

For something more personal, a Chilean cooking class with wine lasts 1.5 to 3 hours, includes pickup and starts from $87. It is a good way to spend a windy evening and to learn a few dishes to take home. Try the local seafood at least once during your stay; the cold southern waters supply the city's kitchens.

Keep a flexible day in your plan. Boat trips depend on the weather, and a day lost on the water can become a museum day in town. Booking the outdoor trips first, with free cancellation where the listing offers it, keeps that option open. A wet afternoon is also a good time to sort photos, plan the next day and rest before an early boat.

Pick your date