Punta Arenas
Travel Advice for Seniors: Punta Arenas
On our way to visit the Torres del Paine, we made a quick stop in the port city of Punta Arenas to visit take a cruise around the Strait of Magellan and check out the Penguin Colony and other wildlife in the area.
The attraction of Punta Arenas is not necessarily the city itself, but rather it’s a base for excursions into the parks and waters in the area and for Antarctica expeditions. There is a nice downtown area with some shops, mostly for Antarctic gear if you are unfortunate enough to forget something (prices are pretty steep). Plus, there are some nice restaurants, and you can walk by the architecturally significant home of Sara Braun, built in the late 1800’s.
We didn’t visit, but the Museo Nao Victoria is in Punta Arenas, features reconstructed ships of explorers like Magallan, Williams, and Shackleton. The Plaza Muñoz Gamero has a memorial to explorer Ferdinand Magellan, which whom the nearby Strait is named. Accessible entrance and restroom.
There is a strategic purpose to the city and that is to defend sovereignty claims in the southernmost part of the country. The Strait of Magellan has been recognized as Chilean territory since 1881.
We took a cruise through the Strait of Magellan to see the wildlife around Magdelena Island. It was a very rough ride due to strong currents and unpredictable winds. Be sure to take motion sickness meds before you leave port, you will need them. The Strait is where the Pacific Ocean meets the Atlantic and it is historically rough sailing. Most of the people on the boat were seasick and totally miserable until we were able to get out of the Strait. You can also get a type of elastic band with a pressure point on it that some people use to prevent seasickness. Mom doesn’t get seasick, but I do, so I made sure to take the meds and made it just fine.
Wow! It was a great wildlife tour! We were in route to Magdalena Island to check out the penguin colony there. On the way we saw several whales, huge colonies of birds, some seals and other wildlife. The Magellanic penguin colony on the Magdelina island has about 60,000 penguins and it was a distant, but pleasant sight. You have to walk up a flight of stairs and then the walkways are paved and you need to stay on them as this is a breeding ground. We didn’t get off the boat as the water was too rough but were able to spot them with binoculars (note to self: Remember to take binocs!). The scenery of the cliffs was as majestic as the birds.
It was fun to watch the whales spouting water, taking everyone’s mind off being seasick! The best stop was at Grey Glacier. The glacier is actually in Torres del Paine, right next to Magdalena Island. We sailed very close to it and the boat guides chipped a piece of glacier off for us to hold for photo ops! Note it was very windy, cold and wet near the glacier, so be prepared. While it was difficult for us to take full winter gear due to domestic baggage weight limitations, we managed to take a medium weight lined jacket and coupled that with a rainproof pullover and tights under our slacks. A large scarf also served as a muffler and head wrap when it wasn’t being used as a shawl or decorative scarf. And of course, a beanie heat and warm gloves. We were still chilly, but adequately warm for the most part and the interior of the boat was heated. Also, do be careful if your balance isn’t very good on this tour. The decks are slick and there is a lot of motion.
Next, off to the Torres del Paine, a much-anticipated stop on our trip to Chile!
Where we stayed: Hotel Almasur Punta Arenas. Accessible. Nice hotel, very close to main street. Breakfast included.Accessible parking elevator and restroom.
How we got there: Few from Santiago to Punta Arenas. This was part of a 12-day private tour through Chile.
General Accessibility Information: See notes above.Most larger cities with major hotels, sights and some transportation are accessible. The National Tourism Service (SERNATUR) and the National Disabilities Service (SENADIS) have a guide for traveling in Chile with a disability. National System of State Protected Wild Areas (SNASPE) has accessible services in national parks, reserves, and monuments. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements. See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.
