Traveling Around the Chilean Patagonia
Trip Start
Nov 13, 2006
1
47
68
Trip End
May 23, 2007
Punta Arenas, Chile
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Punta Arenas is the main city on the Strait of Magellan and the capital of the region de Magallanes Antarctica Chilena, Chile. The Magallanes region is considered part of Chilean Patagonia. Magallanes is Spanish for Magellan, the explorer who, while circumnavigating the earth in service to the Spanish crown, originally passed not far from the present site of Punta Arenas in 1520.
But it was not until much later than any sort of city was settled by the Chilean government (1843). The name Punta Arenas grew out of the Spanish term 'Punta Arenosa', which was a literal translation of the English name 'Sandy Point'. The city has also been known as "Magallanes" though today that term is normally used to describe the administrative region which includes the city.
OUR ACTIVITES
We have rented a car and have been doing day trips to various attractions with a 2-3 hour drive, from penguins in Seno Otway to old forts and animal parks.
