Punta Arenas in 3 days, recommended itinerary

Located at the southernmost tip of the Chilean mainland, we designed this 3-day itinerary around Punta Arenas based on our experience so you won’t miss the highlights.

Punta Arenas is the southernmost city in Chile. If there is one thing that is so characteristic of the city, it is a harsh climate, both in winter and summer, with strong gusts of wind and cold. Its connection to the Strait of Magellan makes it a very important city as a fishing port and passage from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Although everyone visits this area of Chile to see the impressive Torres del Paine Park, the city itself hides many gems such as settlements of the first Chilean colonists, sightings of marine fauna such as penguins and whales, a beautiful promenade along the waterfront and one of the most charming cemeteries in the world.

How many days is necessary to visit Punta Arenas? For us at least 3 days is the minimum, although of course if you want to do some trekking of several days in Torres del Paine, the stay can be at least a week.

We will focus on a tour of Punta Arenas in 3 days, considering only a day trip to Torres del Paine.

Recommended itinerary Punta Arenas in 3 days

• Day 1: Fort Bulnes, waterfront and city centre

• Day 2: Excursion to see the penguins on Magdalena and Marta Islands plus cemetery and museum

• Day 3: Excursion to Torres del Paine or Tierra del Fuego

Day 1: Visit to Fort Bulnes, the waterfront and the city centre

One of the best things to do in Punta Arenas in 3 days is undoubtedly to visit Fort Bulnes, an old fortification whose construction had a purpose: to declare sovereignty over this territory and the Strait of Magellan by the Chilean government in 1843.

However, due to the extreme climatic conditions of the site, located even further south than the present location of the city of Punta Arenas, this fortress quickly became uninhabited, although it served its purpose.

Today, Fuerte Bulnes is located within the Strait of Magellan Park. In this park you visit the fortress with the recreation of sites such as the prison and the church; the visitors’ centre, a modern museum detailing the history of the first inhabitants, the settlers and the hard life of the place; and the Geographical Landmark which marks half of the country if we consider Chilean Antarctica.

Beyond the history, for us the best thing is the walk along the two trails through the forest with views of the islands, even the island of Tierra del Fuego can be seen. The views from the interpretive centre are also fantastic.

Fort Bulnes can be reached by car, although if you’ve flown into Punta Arenas, it’s best to take a half-day tour of the site.

After the visit to Fort Bulnes, we recommend that you start your walk through the centre of Punta Arenas at the Punta Arenas municipal market, to eat in one of the restaurants, whose speciality is fresh fish and seafood.

A good crab pie or casserole are some of the local delicacies. In addition, there are craft shops, although for our taste it is very much geared towards cruise ship tourism.

You can start your walk along the Punta Arenas waterfront by the remains of the Muñoz Gamero ship, a late 19th century merchant vessel, which is stranded on the shore and used as a breakwater. Don’t tell me it’s not curious!

Walking along the waterfront towards the downtown side, you will come across the Port Clock, the former Loreto pier, an ideal place to see seabirds, the letters of Puntas Arenas and finally the monument to the crew members of the schooner Ancud, the boat of the Chilean settlers who arrived at Puerto del Hambre.

To end the day, the best thing to do is to visit the Plaza de Armas next to the Sara Braun Palace and climb the Cerro de la Cruz at sunset, for fantastic views of the city of Punta Arenas and the bay. If it is very windy and cold, most days basically, there is the Sarmiento cafeteria next to the viewpoint for a hot drink. The ascent to the Cerro de la Cruz is by stairs and does not require much physical effort.

If you want to learn about the history of the city’s main attractions, we recommend this guided tour of downtown Punta Arenas.

For dinner on the first day, we recommend the restaurant La Luna, where you must try its star dish, chupe de centolla (spider crab chowder) accompanied by a good Chilean wine.

Day 2: see the penguins, cemetery and museum

One of the main tours in Punta Arenas is sailing through the Strait of Magellan to visit the Magdalenas and Marta Islands, mainly to observe Magellanic penguins, seabirds and sea lions.

The great thing about this tour is that you walk around Magdalena Island, so the penguins will be very close to you. The tour takes place during the Chilean summer, which is when these friendly animals come to the site to give birth to their young.

It is a half-day excursion, but you have to get up very early in the morning to get on board.

Before starting the afternoon tour, you have to stop by Kiosko Roca, a very simple bar with bar service, but where they make a strange combination that has gained fame among locals and tourists. This is their choripán (chorizo and bread) or choriqueso (chorizo and cheese), accompanied by a glass of banana milk. A strange combination, but I assure you it’s very good!

In the afternoon, and if you’re not too tired, there are two visits to make: one is to the Sara Braun cemetery, named after a businesswoman and one of the wealthiest women in the region.

The curious thing is that rather than a cemetery, it looks more like an extensive garden with cypress trees, where wealthy people from the Magellanic area were buried in mausoleums and tombs. It is really well maintained and has gained international renown for being voted one of the 10 most beautiful cemeteries in the world.

If there is time, approach the Museo Regional de Magallanes, a large house donated by the wealthy Menendez-Braun family, which exhibits furniture and objects mainly from the 19th and early 20th centuries. It gives an idea of how wealthy families lived in the region.

It also has sections dedicated to recounting the evolution of the city from the indigenous peoples, through the first settlers, to the present day. Please note that the opening hours are very limited, only open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays  and Saturdays from 10:30 am to 2 pm. Admission is free.

On the second day we recommend dinner at Estilo Magallánico. Although it also has several seafood options on its menu, we recommend you try its Magellanic lamb.

Day 3: Torres del Paine or Tierra del Fuego

On the last day there are two possible options: if you haven’t already done one of the Torres del Paine treks, it’s time for a day trip from Punta Arenas. If, specifically, you are staying in Torres del Paine for several days, then on the last day in Puerto Natales we recommend an excursion to Tierra del Fuego.

Undoubtedly, Torres del Paine Park is the main reason why tourists come to this part of Chile. Located 320 kilometres north of Punta Arenas and on the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the landscapes are incredible, with the possibility of doing several treks, among them the famous W and O circuits that we explain in this article.

One of the great landmarks of Torres del Paine is the viewpoint Base de las Torres with views of Lake Torres and in the background the Central, Monzino and Dagostini Towers, 3 peaks that make up the Torres del Paine.

Sailing on Lake Grey is another attraction, with views of the three peaks, high mountains and glaciers.

If you are only visiting Torres del Paine for one day, we recommend this excursion from Punta Arenas. There is also the possibility of adding a trip to Grey Lake, with its stunning turquoise water.

If Torres del Paine is a separate plan, then a good option to see in Punta Arenas in 3 days is to visit Tierra del Fuego on the Chilean side.

Crossing the Strait of Magellan you reach this island, which is characterised by its lush forest and marine fauna. One of the best things to do in Tierra del Fuego is penguin watching, particularly the king penguin, one of the largest penguins in the world and recognised by its yellowish chest.

When nesting and raising their young, the king penguin arrives in this coastal area of Tierra del Fuego Island from November to April. It is a great sight to see these penguins up close.

We recommend this excursion that sails through the Strait of Magellan and visits the Inutil Bay to see the king penguins.

On the last day we recommend you to have dinner at Sotito’s. It is a very traditional restaurant in Punta Arenas, somewhat expensive, but ideal for trying more seafood, and especially their conger a la margarita.

Tips to visit Punta Arenas

• Make the most of the day if you visit in the middle of summer, because it doesn’t get dark until around 10pm.
• Bring warm clothes, essential at any time of the year, as the weather is always cold.
• Beware of the wind, it really is very strong at times.
• Attention to excursions, which may be suspended due to inclement weather, especially those that have to cross the Strait of Magellan.
• We do not recommend visiting Punta Arenas between May and October. Many excursions no longer take place at this time of year and even the visit to Torres del Paine is not as enjoyable as in the summer.

Where to stay in Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas is an expensive place to stay. Depending on your budget, we recommend three options:

• Hostel Entre Vientos: for low budget. On the waterfront, simple and with family rooms as well as shared rooms.
• Hotel Ilaia: for medium budget. Close to Cerro de la Cruz, excellent service and good breakfast.
• Hotel José Nogueira: for high budgets. Excellent location, surrounded by garden and nicely decorated in its spacious rooms, with buffet breakfast. It is housed in an old period mansion.

How to get to Punta Arenas

There are several options for getting to Punta Arenas:

Getting to Punta Arenas by plane

The most common, especially if you are short of time, is to fly from Santiago, Puerto Montt or Concepción. Flights are operated by Sky, Latam and JetSmart airlines.

To get from Punta Arenas airport to the city, you can use these transfers. Transfers are also available from Punta Arenas airport to Puerto Natales.

Getting to Punta Arenas by land

Due to the presence of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, it is impossible to reach Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine by land from the Carretera Austral.

If you want to do it by land, you will have to go through Argentina, crossing the Chile Chico – Los Antiguos pass (you will have to retrace several kilometres from Villa O’Higgins), and then go through Argentina, passing through El Calafate, until you cross back into Chile at Puerto Natales. There are buses that run these routes.

It can also be reached by road from Ushuaia in Argentina. That’s about 650 kilometres and a journey of at least eight hours. On the way there you have to cross by ferry for 20 minutes between Tierra del Fuego Island and the mainland.

Getting to Punta Arenas by ferry

The ferry actually arrives in Puerto Natales, about 250 kilometres by road from Punta Arenas.

There are two options, one connecting Puerto Natales with Caleta Tortel of the Tabsa company, an alternative to go from the end of the Carretera Austral to Torres del Paine without the need to go through Argentina. Caleta Tortel is 150 kilometres from Villa O’Higgins, which connects the Carretera Austral from the southernmost point with Torres del Paine and Punta Arenas.

The second option is the ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales with the company Navimag. It operates only in summer.

Go to Antarctica from Punta Arenas

Along with Ushuaia, Punto Arenas is the other city of origin for a trip to Antarctica. There are two possibilities:

• Fly from Punta Arenas to Rey Jorge Island in Chile and from there start the Antarctic cruise. In total it takes about 8 days and saves you the crossing through the Drake Passage.
• Make the entire journey from Punta Arenas to Antarctica by cruise ship, travelling first through the Chilean fjords. In this case, it is at least 15 days.

For more information, we have made a very complete article about travel to Antarctica with tours, prices, tips and lots of information.

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