Private Shore Excursion From Punta Arenas: Full-Day City Tour

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Costanera de Punta Arenas, Av. Costanera del Estrecho de Magallanes, Punta Arenas Chile

Explore Punta Arenas with a private vehicle, driver and English-speaking guide at your service. This exclusive tour is designed to allow you the chance discover the most interesting sights in the comfort and privacy of your own vehicle and at your own pace.

Patagonian Institute’s Museum of Memory (Closed on Sunday)

We begin the tour with a visit to the Patagonian Institute’s Museo del Recuerdo (Museum of Memory), where pioneer days are made real again. On display are a collection of antique farm and industrial machinery, a typical pioneer house and shearing shed, and a wooden-wheeled shepherds’ trailer.

Lookout at Cerro de la Cruz Hill

After visiting the museum, we will drive by the Monument to the Croatian Immigrants and the Monument to the Sheep Farmers on our way to Cerro de la Cruz Hill, where you will enjoy panoramic views of the city and Strait of Magellan.

Municipal Cemetery

Afterwards, we will continue into the historic city center and visit the Municipal Cemetery. The cemetery tells the story of the early settlers to the area. The beautiful mausoleums of the wealthy rival those of the Recoleta in Buenos Aires. Here you will find the tomb of the Indio Desconocido or “Unknown Indian.” His body was found on an island in 1929 and brought here. Rumors began that he had miraculous powers so people started leaving money at the grave asking for special favors. The money was collected and eventually a bronze statue was placed on his grave. The last member of the Selk’nam indigenous tribe was buried here.

Magellan Regional Museum (Closed on Tuesday)

We will then stop at the Magellan Regional Museum in an opulent mansion that testifies to the wealth and power of pioneer sheep farmers in the late 19th century. The well-maintained interior houses a regional historical museum and original exquisite French-nouveau family furnishings, from intricate wooden inlaid floors to Chinese vases. In the former servants’ quarters, a downstairs cafe is perfect for a pisco sour while soaking up the grandeur.

Plaza de Armas

Next stop, the city’s Plaza de Armas, where you will see a statue of Ferdinand Magellan gazing out to the sea, which features a number of figures at its base, including a mermaid and an indigenous male whose leg and foot dangle down the base. His foot has been touched so often that the bronze is burnished a shining gold. Legend has it that touching his foot is good luck and means you will return someday to Punta Arenas.

Waterfront

After strolling around the plaza, which also contains various handicraft stands for souvenir shopping, we will head to the Costanera, a boardwalk along the Strait of Magellan, where you will find many restaurants for lunch and to try the local specialty, King Crab.

Magellan National Reserve (Closed on Monday)

Then, we will journey up into the hills of the Magellan National Reserve to the Club Andino Ski Center for more spectacular views of Punta Arenas and the Strait of Magellan. Here, you will have the option of taking a chairlift to the top of the mountain for even better views of the region, including Tierra del Fuego across the Strait of Magellan.

Nao Victoria Museum

Our last stop before heading back to the cruise terminal is the Nao Victoria Museum, which offers visitors the experience of interacting with replicas of the ships that contributed with the discovery and colonization of the region, including the Victoria commanded by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, which was the first ship to circumnavigate the world between 1519-1522.

Duration: 6 hours