Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas, overlooking the Straits of Magellan, is supposedly at the bottom of the Americas, but in many ways it is not. You can almost spot the southern tip of the South American mainland from town, however, Chile claims a pie wedge of Antarctica - all the way to the South Pole - and right below Punta Arenas, a small monument marks the nominal midpoint of the Chilean nation.

Situated astride one of the world's historic trade routes, its prosperity has risen and fallen with that trade. Punta Arenas enjoyed its first great boom during the California Gold Rush, when it served as a haven for great clipper ships. Although the port's importance diminished after the opening of the Panama Canal, the city reached even greater prosperity early in this century as the centre of Chile's international wool trade. Today, Punto Arenas reflects a great mix of cultures, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors, and it remains an utterly fascinating testament to the Chile's rich history.

Punta Arenas really serves as the transportation hub and departure point for Tierra del Fuego and Puerto Natales (the gateway to the Torres del Paine National Park). The Cerro La Cruz promontory provides views of the city's orderly streets, colorful tin roofs, and the strait beyond. Among the city's most interesting attractions are the Museo Salesiano de Mayonino Borgatello, started by an order of Italian missionaries, which provides visitors with an extraordinary and eclectic introduction to virtually every aspect of the region. Its collection, accumulated by the missionaries during their extensive travels in the area, is composed of artifacts of all sorts-from ceramics to rare animal species

The Centro Cultural Braun-Menendèz, housed in the mansion of one of the city's most prosperous families is equally engaging, offering an intimate glimpse of the life of a prosperous Punto Arenas trading family. Furnished with fine European antiques, Italian marble floors, and grand ceiling frescos, the grand mansion gives a good indication of the economic stature of Punto Arenas before the Panama Canal was completed.

Worthy of a visit is to stroll around around the cemetery to see the family ‘plots’ from large decorative crypts to compartments in the wall. The local cuisine includes delicious massive centolla (king crab), conger eel and wild salmon.