---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Punta Arenas, Chile | Wimup"
description: "The 10 best things to do in Punta Arenas, from the penguins of Isla Magdalena to the Sara Braun cemetery and Fuerte Bulnes, ranked and mapped by Wimup editors."
url: https://wimup.com/city/punta-arenas
type: City guide
updated: 2026-10-08
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas, Chile · South America · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read

Punta Arenas grew rich on wool and the Strait of Magellan, and the money still shows: French-designed mansions around the plaza, a cemetery of wool barons’ mausoleums and a theatre that opened in 1899. It is also the city closest to the penguins of Isla Magdalena.

## Quick answer

Give Punta Arenas two days. Spend the first on foot: rub the toe at the Magellan monument, walk through the Braun-Menéndez mansion, then the Sara Braun cemetery and the Costanera at dusk. Spend the second on the water with the penguins of Isla Magdalena, October to April. A third day buys Fuerte Bulnes or the king penguins on Tierra del Fuego.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb
- **Ideal length:** 2–3 days
- **Budget per day:** $70–150
- **Language:** Spanish
- **Getting around:** Walk the centre, taxis and colectivos further out
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.puntaarenas.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Punta Arenas

### 1. Isla Magdalena penguin colony

Wildlife · Monumento Natural Los Pingüinos, Strait of Magellan, about 35 km northeast

The reason most visitors fly this far south. A CONAF-protected island in the Strait of Magellan where Magellanic penguins nest, reached only on licensed boat trips from October to mid-April. Book early for December and January.

- **Time:** Half day
- **Cost:** Boat tour fare
- **Best at:** December to January
- **Tip:** Time ashore is capped at one hour on a marked path, so most of the trip is the crossing. Pack a windproof layer for the boat.

Links: [Website](https://www.conaf.cl/parque_nacionales/monumento-natural-los-pinguinos/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 2. Cementerio Municipal Sara Braun

Cemetery · Avenida Bulnes 29

The most striking place in town, opened in 1894 on land given by Sara Braun and a national monument since 2012. The wool barons’ mausoleums stand a short walk from the immigrant families’ graves. Find the Indio Desconocido, a statue covered in thank-you plaques.

- **Time:** 1 to 2 hrs
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Enter through the monumental 1919 portico on Avenida Bulnes, then walk the central avenue before branching off.

### 3. Museo Regional de Magallanes

Museum · Magallanes 949

The Braun-Menéndez family’s mansion, built 1903 to 1906 to a French architect’s design and a historic monument since 1974. Its furnished salons show what the wool fortune bought. Admission is free.

- **Time:** 1 to 2 hrs
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Late morning
- **Tip:** Closed on Tuesdays. From May to September it shuts at 14:00, so go in the morning.

Links: [Website](https://www.museodemagallanes.gob.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Plaza Muñoz Gamero and the Magellan monument

Landmark · Plaza Muñoz Gamero, city centre

The heart of the city, framed by wool-era mansions. José Menéndez paid for the Magellan monument, unveiled in 1920 for the 400th anniversary of the voyage. Touch the bronze toe of the Indigenous figure at its base and, the saying goes, you will come back.

- **Time:** 30 mins
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Any time
- **Tip:** Start your walk here: Palacio Sara Braun is on the north side and the regional museum is a block away.

### 5. Parque del Estrecho de Magallanes and Fuerte Bulnes

Historic site · Ruta Y-621, about 52 km south of Punta Arenas

Where Chile claimed the strait. Fuerte Bulnes was founded in 1843 by the crew of the schooner Ancud and rebuilt in timber for its centenary. The park also holds Puerto del Hambre, ruin of a failed 1584 Spanish colony.

- **Time:** Half day
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Clear morning
- **Tip:** There is no public transport. Hire a car or book a tour, and stop at Puerto del Hambre on the same road.

Links: [Website](https://www.parquedelestrecho.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 6. Museo Nao Victoria

Museum · Ruta Y-565, km 7.5 north of Punta Arenas

Full-size replicas on the shore of the strait: Magellan’s Nao Victoria, the schooner Ancud, Shackleton’s lifeboat James Caird and Darwin’s HMS Beagle. Standing on the Victoria shows how small a ship crossed the world.

- **Time:** 1 to 2 hrs
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Calm afternoon
- **Tip:** The ships sit on the open shore, so choose a day when the wind off the strait drops.

Links: [Website](https://www.naovictoria.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 7. Reserva Natural Pingüino Rey

Wildlife · Bahía Inútil, Tierra del Fuego, about 115 km from Porvenir

King penguins on the shore of Bahía Inútil, the second-largest penguin species, in a private reserve open since 2011. It is a long day: ferry to Porvenir, then gravel road. Visits run on pre-booked time slots only.

- **Time:** Full day
- **Cost:** Ticketed, booking required
- **Best at:** October to May
- **Tip:** Book your slot before the ferry or tour; places are limited and there is no walk-in entry.

Links: [Website](https://pinguinorey.cl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 8. Mirador Cerro de la Cruz

Viewpoint · Cerro de la Cruz, about 10 minutes’ walk from Plaza Muñoz Gamero

The view that explains the city: rooftops, the port, the strait and, on a clear day, Tierra del Fuego on the far shore. A short uphill walk from the plaza.

- **Time:** 30 mins
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Late afternoon
- **Tip:** Pick a clear day. Tierra del Fuego only shows when the cloud over the strait lifts.

### 9. Costanera del Estrecho

Waterfront · Avenida Costanera del Estrecho

The promenade where the city meets the strait, best walked toward Muelle Fiscal Arturo Prat, the 1920s pier where cruise ships berth. In July it carries the Carnaval de Invierno parade.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Summer evening
- **Tip:** Summer light lasts past 22:00 in December, so save the walk for after dinner.

### 10. Reserva Nacional Magallanes

Nature reserve · Sector Las Minas, about 7 km west of the city

Native forest and hills at the city’s back door, protected since 1932 and run by CONAF. The quickest way out of town and into Patagonian woods, with walking trails and views back over the strait.

- **Time:** Half day
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Summer
- **Tip:** Buy the entry pass online through CONAF’s pasesparques.cl or pay at the gate.

Links: [Website](https://www.conaf.cl/parques/reserva-nacional-magallanes/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best restaurants in Punta Arenas

Six tables worth an evening, from king crab dinners to the city’s cult sandwich.

1. **Sotito’s** (Seafood · $$$ · O’Higgins 1138): The long-standing seafood room for a proper king crab dinner.
2. **La Marmita** (Chilean · $$ · Plaza Sampaio 678): A cosy family-run bistro: Magellan lamb, fish and a separate vegetarian menu.
3. **Damiana Elena** (Chef’s menu · $$$ · Hernando de Magallanes 341): A Victorian house with no fixed menu: the chef cooks about eight dishes a night. Book ahead.
4. **La Luna** (Seafood · $$ · O’Higgins 1017): Laid-back and busy, with a long menu. Order the chupe de centolla.
5. **Puerto Viejo** (Seafood · $$$ · O’Higgins 1166): A nautical dining room near the port for king crab and corvina.
6. **Kiosko Roca** (Sandwiches · $ · Presidente Julio Roca): Trading since 1932: choripán with homemade mayonnaise and a glass of banana milk.

## Best bars & cafes in Punta Arenas

Four places for a drink, two of them inside the wool barons’ mansion.

1. **La Taberna, Club de la Unión** (Bar · Palacio Sara Braun, Plaza Muñoz Gamero): A ship’s-cabin bar of stone and native wood in the mansion’s basement.
2. **Shackleton Bar** (Hotel bar · Hotel José Nogueira, Bories 959): Sara Braun’s old dining room, pouring a recreation of Shackleton’s expedition whisky.
3. **Jekus** (Pub · O’Higgins 1021): Draught beer, live music and football on the screens; karaoke at weekends.
4. **Pub 1900** (Café-bar · Bories and Colón): A corner café-bar: coffee by day, a drink after dark.

## Best museums in Punta Arenas

Three more collections, on the missions, the navy and the settler years.

1. **Museo Regional Salesiano Maggiorino Borgatello** (Regional history · Ticketed · Avenida Manuel Bulnes 336): The Salesian missionaries’ collection, begun in the 1890s, on the region’s peoples and wildlife.
2. **Museo Naval y Marítimo** (Maritime · Pedro Montt 981): The Yelcho’s rescue of Shackleton’s men, with a walk-in ship’s bridge.
3. **Museo del Recuerdo** (Open-air · Avenida Bulnes 01890): The Instituto de la Patagonia’s open-air collection from the settler years.

## Best historic buildings in Punta Arenas

Three buildings from the decades when wool made Punta Arenas rich.

1. **Palacio Sara Braun** (Mansion · Plaza Muñoz Gamero, north side): Numa Mayer’s mansion for Sara Braun, now the Club de la Unión and Hotel José Nogueira.
2. **Teatro Municipal José Bohr** (Theatre · Magallanes 823): Opened in 1899 as the Teatro Colón, given to the city in 1905, reopened after restoration in 2012.
3. **Muelle Fiscal Arturo Prat** (Pier · Costanera del Estrecho): The 372-metre pier built in the 1920s, where cruise ships berth.

## Best trips on the Strait of Magellan

Three ways onto the Strait of Magellan beyond the penguin boats.

1. **Isla Marta sea lions** (Boat trip · From Bahía Laredo): Speedboat tours add a pass by Isla Marta’s sea lions after Magdalena. Landing is banned.
2. **Cabo Froward** (Guided trek · About 90 km southwest): The southern tip of mainland America, crowned by the Cruz de los Mares. Boat access, weather permitting.
3. **Primera Angostura crossing** (Ferry · Punta Delgada to Bahía Azul): The narrowest crossing of the strait, about 20 minutes by ferry to Tierra del Fuego. [Website](https://www.tabsa.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best shopping & markets in Punta Arenas

Duty-free shopping, a seafood market and a chocolate shop in an old pharmacy.

1. **Zona Franca** (Duty-free · Km 3.5 north): Duty-free shopping north of the centre, the legacy of the city’s free-port years.
2. **Mercado Municipal** (Market · $ · City centre): Fish and vegetable stalls with cheap cocinerías serving centolla.
3. **La Chocolatta** (Chocolate · Café · Bories 852): Chocolate and coffee in the old Baeriswyl pharmacy building.

## Best day trips in Punta Arenas

Three trips north and across the strait to Tierra del Fuego.

1. **Puerto Natales** (Bus · 3 hrs · About 250 km north): The gateway town for Torres del Paine, about three hours north by bus on Ruta 9.
2. **Torres del Paine** (Overnight · About 312 km north): Too far for a day return. Base yourself in Puerto Natales and give the park two days.
3. **Porvenir** (Ferry · 1 hr 45 · Tierra del Fuego): Tierra del Fuego’s Chilean town, a TABSA ferry crossing of about 1 hr 45 from Tres Puentes. [Website](https://www.tabsa.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Festivals & annual events in Punta Arenas (2026)

- **Winter solstice** (Jun): The longest night of the year opens the city’s winter season, the Invernadas.
- **Chapuzón del Estrecho** (Jun – Jul): Thousands plunge into the Strait of Magellan in midwinter. It began in 2008 with 16 swimmers.
- **Carnaval de Invierno** (Jul): A weekend of floats and comparsas along the Costanera. Over 100,000 people watched in 2024.
- **Festival Folclórico en la Patagonia** (Jul – Aug): Three nights of folk music. The 2024 edition was the 43rd.
- **Gran Premio de la Hermandad** (Aug): A road rally across Tierra del Fuego between Porvenir and Río Grande in Argentina.
- **Fiestas Patrias** (Sep): Chile’s national holidays on 18 and 19 September, with fondas and cueca.
- **Penguin season opens** (Oct): CONAF reopens Isla Magdalena to boat visits in October after the winter closure.
- **Founding anniversary** (Dec): The city marks its founding on 18 December 1848.

## Must-try dishes in Punta Arenas, Chile

- **Cordero magallánico al palo**: Patagonian lamb, spit-roasted upright beside an open fire.
- **Centolla**: Southern king crab from the cold channels, caught in traps.
- **Chupe de centolla**: King crab baked with bread, cream and cheese into a gratin.
- **Calafate sour**: A pisco sour made with juice of the tart calafate berry.
- **Calafate**: The native berry. Legend says whoever eats it returns to Patagonia.
- **Choripán de Kiosko Roca**: The city’s cult sandwich, with homemade mayonnaise.
- **Leche con plátano**: Banana milk, the classic drink with a Kiosko Roca choripán.
- **Cerveza Austral**: Lager from the brewery founded in Punta Arenas in 1896.

## Punta Arenas transport & airports

- **Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport** (PUQ): 19 km north of the centre, with daily flights to Santiago and DAP hops to Puerto Williams. There is no regular bus: take a shared transfer or a taxi.
- **Long-distance buses** (Bus): Bus-Sur, Buses Fernández and Pacheco reach Puerto Natales in about 3 hours. Each leaves from its own office; there is no central terminal.
- **TABSA ferries** (Ferry): From Tres Puentes, 5 km north, to Porvenir in about 1 hr 45, and the Yaghan to Puerto Williams, about 30 hours through the channels. [Website](https://www.tabsa.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Taxis and colectivos** (Local): The centre is walkable. Taxis are black with yellow roofs; colectivos are shared taxis on numbered fixed routes.

## Punta Arenas at a glance

- **Country:** Chile
- **Region:** Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (regional capital)
- **Population:** 131,592 in the commune (2017 census)
- **Founded:** 18 December 1848
- **Nickname:** Sandy Point, the English name it translates
- **Language:** Spanish
- **Currency:** Chilean peso (CLP)
- **Time zone:** UTC−3 all year, no daylight saving
- **Calling code:** +56 61
- **Airports:** Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo (PUQ), 19 km north
- **Power:** 220V, 50Hz, plug types C and L
- **Emergency:** 131 ambulance, 132 fire, 133 police

## Interesting facts

- Punta Arenas is the largest city south of the 46th parallel south.
- The name translates Sandy Point, the label English navigators put on their charts.
- The tug Yelcho sailed from here in August 1916 and rescued all 22 of Shackleton’s men on Elephant Island.
- Magallanes kept summer time in 2017 and has stayed on UTC−3 all year since.
- The city began as a move: in 1848 the garrison left windswept Fuerte Bulnes for this site.

## Punta Arenas travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Punta Arenas?

Two full days covers the city: one for the plaza, the cemetery and the museums, one for the penguins on Isla Magdalena. Add a third for Fuerte Bulnes or the long day to the king penguins on Tierra del Fuego.

### When can you see the penguins at Isla Magdalena?

CONAF opens the island from October to mid-April and closes it the rest of the year. December and January are the busiest months in the colony, and by March most of the birds have gone. Visits are by licensed boat tour only.

### Can you visit Torres del Paine from Punta Arenas?

Not comfortably in a day. The park is about 312 km north, so most travellers take the three-hour bus to Puerto Natales and base themselves there. Many Natales buses also stop at the airport, so you can go straight from a flight.

### How do you get from the airport to the city?

The airport is 19 km north of the centre and there is no regular public bus. Shared door-to-door transfers wait in the baggage hall, official taxis run into town, and the car hire desks are in the terminal.

### How windy is Punta Arenas?

Very, especially from October to March, when average winds run above 26 km/h. Pack a windproof shell in any season, and keep a spare day in case a boat trip to the penguins is cancelled.

## Nearby guides

- [Ushuaia](https://wimup.com/city/ushuaia.md): Argentina · 10 picks
- [Bariloche](https://wimup.com/city/bariloche.md): Argentina · 10 picks
- [Santiago](https://wimup.com/city/santiago.md): Chile · 10 picks
- [All of South America →](https://wimup.com/south-america): 26 cities

Part of the [Chile guide](https://wimup.com/country/chile.md) · [South America](https://wimup.com/south-america.md)

## Sources

- [Punta Arenas tourism board](https://www.puntaarenas.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Isla Magdalena penguin colony (official site)](https://www.conaf.cl/parque_nacionales/monumento-natural-los-pinguinos/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Museo Regional de Magallanes (official site)](https://www.museodemagallanes.gob.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Parque del Estrecho de Magallanes and Fuerte Bulnes (official site)](https://www.parquedelestrecho.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Museo Nao Victoria (official site)](https://www.naovictoria.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Reserva Natural Pingüino Rey (official site)](https://pinguinorey.cl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Reserva Nacional Magallanes (official site)](https://www.conaf.cl/parques/reserva-nacional-magallanes/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Primera Angostura crossing (official site)](https://www.tabsa.cl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.