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Punta Arenas

Description

Punta Arenas is the capital city of the Magallanes region, and it's 1918 miles away from Santiago, the capital city of Chile. In spite of the distance, it is a small `big city', with all the necessary infrastructure to make any visitor feel as comfortable as they would be in their own home. Actually, the general philosophy of the city is "solitude and distance are bearable if you live splendidly and in permanent contact with the rest of the world."

Founded in 1848, it developed slowly after the colony years. It was the spot chosen by the Chilean government of the time to form a stable population, considering the closest place -the Bulnes Fort- did not have proper water and wood supplying, or favorable weather conditions to survive for an entire year. Punta Arenas, known in that time still as "Sandy Point", was also the chosen place to send military missions and common criminals who were sent to Bulnes Fort before.

The city is located at the feet of the Andes, where the estepary plain begins, which turns the city in a singular viewpoint of the Magallen's Strip and the Ocean. In Punta Arenas, unlike any other place in Chile, the sun appears behind the sea and it sets behind the hills.

Attractions

Punta Arenas is the most equipped city in Patagonia, delivering a mix of wonderful city and remote town. Its landscapes are spectacular, with a set of colors and combination of colors that create magnificent pictures, especially at sunset. It is also very close to other parks and national monuments, rivers and lakes, all of which you can visit to practice sports and have fun.

Activities

In June and July there are a series of cultural and entertainment activities which take place all over the city, and especially in the main square, such as story telling contests, dance exhibitions, photographic shows, sport competition, etc. You can take the opportunity to check out all of these and to also take pictures, go horsback riding, take walks around the city, and practice kayak, diving, buggy, canoeing, recreational hunting, ciclotourism, free hiking, mountain ski, mountainbike, tourist navigation, sailing, rowing, picnic, hiking and swimming.

Information