ATTRACTIONS

"Incredible" is probably the best word to define the experience of travelling around the Chilean part of Patagonia. It is an adventure which should have as its operations center the city of Punta Arenas, founded in 1848, to be the capital of the Magallanes Region.

From Punta Arenas, tourists can depart to visit the main natural attractions in Patagonia: Tierra del Fuego and Torres del Paine, which offer such extraordinary and almost "unreal" beauty that they seem to be dreams come true thanks to the divine inspiration of the Almighty Creator. Visiting this part of Chile is, then, much more than just another adventure; it is a journey full of enchantment, through a part of the world where the spiritual and the material world seem to be obviously united.

From Punta Arenas, the following sites are worth a visit:

PUNTA ARENAS
Capital of the Magallanes Region and of Chilean Patagonia, it is sited in the Brunswick peninsula, on the shores of the Strait of Magellan. The area was first explored by John Byron in the 17th century, but it was not until 1848 that the city was founded. Various excursions leave from the city, ranging from a day fishing on the Verde River and Skyring inlet to a visit to the penguin rookery, home to many Magellanic Penguins. Nonetheless, these excursions are only a few of the many activities available in the area of Punta Arenas.

During your stay in Punta Arenas, remember the following sites:

- Bulnes Fort and Del Hambre Port were the first Spanish settlements on the Patagonian coastline of the Straits of Magellan. The current Bulnes Fort was rebuilt on the lines of a small fort which served as a defence post for the establishment of the old village in 1843.
The so-called Del Hambre Port is located on the banks of Buena Bay coastline, where captain Sarmiento de Gamboa founded the city of Rey Don Felipe in March 1584. The settling attempt was ineffective, since the inhabitants died from starvation.
Years later, the English corsair Thomas Cavendish, found the remains of the former colony and gave it the name it now bears: "Del Hambre Port" (Famine Port).

Los Pingüinos Natural Monument comprises Marta and Magdalena isles, with a population of more than 50 thousand couples of the Magellanic species. In order to get to these sites, visitors have to cross the Straits of Magellan, since the penguins are found beyond 35 kilometers (25 maritime miles) north of Punta Arenas.

- Villa Tehuelches is the capital city of the Laguna Blanca zone. Most of its 400 residents devote their efforts to cattle raising. Located 100 km away from Punta Arenas (by land), this town holds various attractions, such as the ecumenical church, the library-museum and the "municipal crescent". In addition, 9 km to the south, tourists can stop by Las Nieves district, a remarkable site to practise sport- fishing in the waters of Penitente River. Going southward, at Km 113, there is an area called Laguna Blanca, which used to be a cattle farm. Nearby, travelers can visit the Cueva de la Leona Canyon, a Historical Natural Monument where they will see 1600 year-old cave paintings by the Aonikenk ethnic group. If they wish to delight themselves with other pictorial representations, they may go to the Morro Chico Historical Monument, located 145 km south of Punta Arenas. During the spring and summer seasons, the community of Laguna Blanca organizes the Shearing Festival, where shepherd dogs are shown in action, together with the breaking-in of horses and the traditional Chilean rodeo.

- Rio Verde is the capital of the area that bears the same name, and is located on the shores of Skyring firth. This is a cattle farming region located 87 km northeast of Punta Arenas. Fitz Roy Channel, Otway inlet and Rio Verde are among the most important attractions of the area. Rodeo competitions take place throughout the year.

- Carlos III Island, The show of the humpback whales
Carlos III Island, a spot in the Strait of Magellan which has been unknown until recently, becomes a privileged observation place to watch the gigantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) during the summer, giant acrobats that come from the Colombian coasts cleaving the ocean on their extremely lengthy pilgrimage to the Antarctic world.

The humpback whales are unparalleled in their acrobatic demeanour, even amongst the 60 species of cetaceous existing on the planet, including dolphins. Their jumps and pirouettes are the central act on a wonderful natural spectacle they perform in the cold waters that surround the Island, one of the places of choice for these bulky mammals due to the abundance of small fishes and crustaceous, their favourite food.

But they are not the only stars at Carlos III, a place of unbelievable beauty where the cold currents of the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans meet. It is also possible to watch other competing species of marine fauna from the Island, such as the killer whales (Orcinus orca), the minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and sei (Balaenoptera borealis) whales, colonies of sea wolfs (Otaria flavescens) and sea elephants (Mirounga leonina).