Punta Arenas between the Strait of Magellan and the city’s history

Punta Arenas lies on the Strait of Magellan and combines a striking location on the strait with urban attractions and historical collections. The 2,700-metre-long Costanera looks out over the strait and connects the city’s two founding piers. The Reserva Nacional Magallanes is also nearby. This gives you a choice of different ways to spend your stay: take a walk along the Costanera, visit cultural sites or make time for trails in nature.

City and nature as different priorities

The Reserva Nacional Magallanes lies on the Brunswick Peninsula, seven kilometres west of the city centre, within the commune of Punta Arenas. The protected area has more than 60 kilometres of interpretive and excursion trails. This extensive network makes it a destination in its own right for travellers who want to include nature in their plans. When choosing a holiday rental, one simple question may help: would you like to focus mainly on urban experiences, or also make time for the Reserva Nacional Magallanes? The information about the trails describes an extensive network without distinguishing individual routes by length or course.

Within the city, the Costanera also offers a clear point of reference: it connects the two founding piers and extends for 2,700 metres. If you want to plan your stay around the waterfront, you can make this stretch an activity in its own right. Connecting the piers also makes the Costanera a suitable starting point for exploring Punta Arenas’s location on the Strait of Magellan.

Museums and historic sites

The Museo Regional de Magallanes is in the historic centre of Punta Arenas. It has 14 exhibition rooms featuring contemporary and historical exhibitions. Together, the building and its collections, along with the basement and park, form a National Historic Monument. The palace that houses the museum belonged to the Braun family and was later donated to the city of Punta Arenas. For visitors interested in the city’s history, a visit to the museum brings together exhibitions and the story of a building that forms part of the city’s historic heritage.

Another protected building is the Palacio Sara Braun. It was declared a Historic Monument by Decree D.S. 9256 of 4 December 1981. The protected heritage area around Plaza Muñoz Gamero includes not only the square but also all the buildings surrounding it. Together, they form an urban ensemble of exceptional heritage value. These sites offer different ways to explore the history of Punta Arenas: through a museum with several exhibition rooms, a historic building and an entire ensemble of a square and its surrounding buildings.

Ships, viewpoints and other attractions

The Museo Nao Victoria focuses on maritime history. It presents four historic ship replicas and has interactive features including an audio guide, a touchscreen and ambient sounds. The Museo Nao Victoria is a scale replica of Hernando de Magallanes’s ship. Ship models and interactive elements are therefore at the heart of a visit; if you are looking for a different view of the city, Mirador del Cerro de la Cruz is also one of Punta Arenas’s attractions.

Other attractions include the monument in honour of the Goleta Ancud. The Cementerio Municipal de Punta Arenas Sara Braun is also among the protected historic sites: it is on Avenida Bulnes in the northern part of the city and was declared a National Monument in 2012. Travellers can choose among these varied destinations according to their interests, rather than limiting their stay to a single type of attraction.

Punta Arenas as a starting point for your journey

Overland connections are also relevant when planning the rest of your journey. A bus service runs between Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales via Ruta 9; the route is 250 kilometres long. Punta Arenas can also be reached overland from Río Gallegos in Argentina by cross-border bus services. If your trip includes several destinations, you can take these connections into account when choosing where to stay. A holiday rental in Punta Arenas is a particularly suitable option if you want to explore the city’s museums, monuments and Costanera, or plan the rest of your route from here.

For the broader travel overview: Provincia Magallanes.