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Punta Arenas Travel Blogs

Background: Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians inhabited central and southern Chile; the latter were not completely subjugated until the early 1880s. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-84), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern lands. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

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By Andy_and_Tamar
October 12th 2008

Stranded (briefly!)

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

Sunset in Punta Arenas

From Santiago we flew to Punta Arenas, the southernmost town in Chile. We thought it was maybe because everything was shut on Sundays that the town seemed bleak and dull, but quickly realised that the day of the week didn't have much effect on the place's appeal! We took in Punta Arenas' attractions in about an hour (1 supermarket, 1 bar and a walk along the seafront!) and retired to watch cable TV in our hotel room - saved by the 2 or 3 English channels! We thought we were going to be stranded here for days on end but eventually [View Full Entry]

By Dirk en Silvia around the world
September 14th 2008

Dag 28: Van Lago Grey naar Punta Arenas

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

Carpintero Negro
Magellanic Woodpecker: ...gewoon bij ons hotel Lago Grey

Vandaag weer een dag van reizen: we vertrekken uit ons hotel Lago Grey en rijden naar Punta Arenas, zo’n 400 km zuidelijker. Het landschap verandert langzaam; van hoge bergen met sneeuwwitte toppen en bergmeren in pampa’s, uitgestrekte velden met aan de horizon de bergen. Aangezien we eerst uit het nationaal park Torres del Paine moeten rijden via de omweg doen we over deze 400 km zo’n 6 uur… Weer een lange zit, maar dan zijn we toch rond half 4 bij ons hostel in Punta Arenas: hostel Carpa Manzano. Na NP Torres del Paine lijkt Punta Arenas wel een industriestad: veel [View Full Entry]

By Rosco p
May 14th 2008

Gerardo reflects on the Adventure

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

Gerardo
Gerardo out there

Hola Amigos, Today in my house in the lost Patagonia, after a trip of nearly four days and 3500 kms I am in my house with temperatures between 7 and 0 º C, but happy to be here with my wife and kids, and sad that the adventure has ended, for me it was the best adventure in a moto of my life and with a group of Kiwis was a lesson of life, but I have to wait to write the few letters because I don't have the time to do it, I have to come back to my job [View Full Entry]

By Jabe
May 8th 2008

Give me Shackleton every time

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

Toe tactic
Toe of Ona Indian on monument to Magellan, Plaza Munoz Gamero Apparently touching the toe will ensure one's future return to Punta Arenas

"Superhuman effort isn't worth a damn unless it achieves results." Thus said Sir Ernest Shackleton, leader of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914 (better known as the Endurance expedition) and star of one of history's most stirring tales of triumph over extreme hardship. There have been umpteen books written about the Endurance expedition but it's a story that never pales in the telling. The ambitious plan to cross Antarctica from one coast to the other via the South Pole came unstuck at the very beginning, when the Endurance froze into pack ice in the Weddell Sea. Aft [View Full Entry]

By Sheeptours
April 16th 2008

Recovering in Punta Arenas

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas Cemetery

Day 170:´Sandy Point' (Punta Arenas) is not so sandy So I could have done with not getting up ridiculously early this morning, but then I could have done with a hot shower as well, and so I forced myself out of bed at seven to have breakfast, and then walk into town to try and arrange a bus to Punta Arenas later in the day. Unfortunately all the early buses were full, but I did manage to get a ticket for one at ten o'clock. Soon enough, I was happily dozing on board a bus as I journeyed further south (where [View Full Entry]

By Jono Dahna
April 11th 2008

Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales: on the way to Torres Del Paine

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

cemetery in Punta Arenas

I think towards the start of our South American blog I made a comment about how cities here feel the same as cities anywhere else in Canada, America or Australia... and that there was not much of a so called third world or developing country feel about it. (Both those descriptions are strange ones though, which I am never entirely comfortable using). I was talking mainly of Chile, and particularly Santiago. But even then, we did not really spend too much time in Santiago outside the central few blocks where our hostel was. Also, so far most of the towns we [View Full Entry]

By Ali Baba
March 31st 2008

Punta Arenas

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

I am so behind again.....it always happens after a spell of being good about keeping up to date...so here we go again. Punta Arenas is in the very southern tip of Chile. We crossed from Argentina to there to fly back to Santiago & avoid the very long bus trip back up north. So on a rainy Sunday evening we pulled into what looked like a very drab city. Thankfully there was a lady there looking for business. She had a car so we were sold! It turned out quite well because we were the only people staying in her house, [View Full Entry]

By CathyInSouthAmerica
March 26th 2008

How a cruise can teach you how to embrace life

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

Table 14 on the island

And we arriving to our second highlight of our trip... After 5 days hiking in Torres del Paine, we made it all the way down to Punta Arenas where we are ready to embark on our cruise Via Australis, to travel via the Cordillera de Darwin, the Beagle Channel & the Cape Horn to arrive at Ushuaia. It's our first cruise so we are totally unexperienced, not sure what to expect but totally excited ! I even packed on some wine bottles just to make sure I don't run out ! :-) Well, it was really unnecessary as we will find [View Full Entry]

By CathyInSouthAmerica
March 26th 2008

Cruise along the Strait of Magellan

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

Landing on island Agostini

Onboard the Via Australis, we went through breathtaking scenic 4 days from Punta Arenas through the Cordillera de Darwin, Parque Nacional Alberto de Agostini, the Beagle Channel, Cape Horn and finally Ushuaia. The Captain welcomed us onboard with a cocktail, Pisco Sour!, and we were explained the full program for the four days. Our first landing was on the island Alberto de Agostini where we had the special treat to see an elephant seal very close, two artistic sea lions playing in the water and the beautiful nature of the island. The other days were punctuated by visits to our frien [View Full Entry]

By Mikey M
March 12th 2008

Kicking Around in Punta

South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

So today i was up at 6.30 am to get the 7 am bus and wanted to make sure i got it and missed breakfast, need not have botered to rush as it was not quick heading off and it turned out of all the bus companys i picked the wrong one as bus sur pullman pick up everything and a chicken. Eevntually i got to zona franco in Punta and this is the duty free area, although with tax off south america is way more than the uk or europe for cameras and a host of things, so i spent [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » South America » Chile » Magallanes » Punta Arenas