NATURAL ATTRACTIONS

- Pali-Aike National Park
It is a vast rock field of volcanic lava origin whose crater has been active since the Pliocene. Throughout its 5030 hs area tourists can admire wide fields of basaltic lava, which have determined the existence of sparse, almost desert-like vegetation. The local fauna comprises skunks, grey foxes, guanacos and bats; there are also some low volcanic cones, lava formations and plots of land which resemble moon landscapes. Also, prehistoric human remains that surprisingly are about fifteen thousand years old were discovered in the Pali Aike and Fell caves. The park is to be found in the area of San Gregorio, province of Magallanes, just 196 km north-west of Punta Arenas.

- Magallanes National Reserve
The Magellan's Reserve covers an area of 19,625 hs and was created in 1932. It has an undulating topography and the Las Minas River is its main watercourse. The area features several native flora species, such as coihue and lenga trees, and a diverse wild fauna, comprising the "culpeo" fox, pumas, "little woolly mice" and "small-footed mice". Besides there are various native bird species, such as the Upland Goose, the Bustard, the Lake Duck, the Ashen-headed Goose , the Southern Thrush, the Rufus-collared Sparrow, the Long-tailed Meadowlark, the "chercán", the "tiupe", the Black-bodied Woodpecker, the Chilean "Flicker" and the Condor. The reserve is located west of Punta Arenas, about 5 miles away. - Alacalufes National Reserve
Alcalufes presents a landscape of low mountainous islands with abundant channels and fjords. It contains the western archipelagos of the province of Ultima Esperanza. Its indigenous fauna consists mainly of bird species and some mammals.

- Parrillar Lagoon National Reserve
Reserve covers an area of 18,414 hs and its altitude goes from 300 to 650 m. It was created in 1977 and is located 52 km south of the city of Punta Arenas. The main attraction within this protected area is the Parrillar Lagoon, with a surface area of 970 hs. In winter, the rivers and lagoons freeze, forming ice layers up to 30 cm thick.
In the reserve, tourists can practise trekking along the San Juan River (60 km south of Punta Arenas) and admire one of the most gorgeous hydrographic basins in the Brunswick peninsula.

- The Otway Inlet Penguin Rookery
Otway Inlet is an ecological marvel inhabited by nearly 6000 Magellanic Penguins. The visiting season, which coincides with the nesting period, goes from October to April, when the sun shines most brightly and the weather is bearable. It is located 65 km north of Punta Arenas.

- Carlos III Island
It is an advantaged place for watching humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Groups of these sea giants come very close to the Island's shores every year, during summer, looking for the necessary nourishment to continue their never ending journeys. The island is part of a biological corridor for these monumental cetaceous, which are considered the acrobats of the sea, due to the wonderful leaps and pirouettes they usually perform in oceanic waters.

But whales are not the only attraction at Carlos III Island: they have competitors. Here you can also watch the Magellanic penguins march (Spheniscus magellanicus), colonies of South American sea wolfs (Otaria flavescens) and sea elephants (Mirounga leonina), as well as some specimens of the Austral dolphin and populations of 26 bird species. The killer whales (Orcinus orca) along with the sei (Balaenoptera borealis) and minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) whales are but sporadic visitors of this Island.

The creation of the Francisco Coloane Marine Park, the first marine protected area in the country, has its main attractions in Jerónimo Canal, Tortuous Pass, Rupert Island, Barbara Canal, Cordes and Fortescue Bays, and in Santa Inés Island and its glacier. It was created on August the 5th of 2003 considering the biodiversity and beautiful settings of the zone.

It has wonderful spaces of life, where flora and fauna are a real temptation for biologists and naturalists. Besides, it is possible to practice activities such as trekking and kayaking; which will provide the visitor with unforgettable adventures on land and sea in this majestic Park and its 67000 hectare extension.

Travellers must take into account that Whale Sound, an organisation founded by investigators and scholars with ample experience in the area, is the only agency that operates within the Marine Park area. It is located in the Strait of Magellan, in the XII Magellan and Chilean Antarctica Region, almost 190 km away from Punta Arenas.