May 2 - Punto Arenas

PA is of restricted interest, being from a tourist viewpoint the jump off place to arrive by plane (more than 3.5 hours flying time south of Santiago) to go to either Puerto Natales or to Calafate to see the glaciers, and:or to the adjacent “penguin” islands. Big port area (having just come through the perilous Cape Horn) – economic activities seaweed, fishing and petroleum (actually not in that order).


Even the travel agencies are closed down .....


Only things to be done from Punto Arenas are:
• Go to the Isla Magdalena and see Penguins from October to April – they have left the week before we got there to go to warmer climates – smart animals
• Visit the Magellan Strait – if it’s a clear day (which it wasn’t when we were there)
• Take a cruise ship either along the coast or down to Antarctica (mostly in the summer months) and providing you are a millionaire
• Skiing in Andino – close to Punto Arenas – if you want to freeze your butt off. Chileans go skiing there once the summer tourists have disappeared and prices drop considerably.