Punta Arenas is the most southerly town of the Chilean mainland and sits at the mouth of the Straits of Magellan. 200 kms further north lies Puerto Natales on the Seno de Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope Sound), the gateway to the Torres Del Paine National Park, situated on the Patagonian ice field.  |
| Map of Southern Patagonia Courtesy of Rough Guide to Chile |
Cerro Benítez
The hill is forested with Antartic and Lenga beech trees. It opens up after a 90 minute climb to a wind swept peak, providing a natural vantage point to see condors and eagles as well as stunning views of the surrounding lakes and mountains.
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| An eagle out-stares us at the summit of Cerro Benitez |
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Cuevas de Mildon
The Milodon caves are one of the oldest paleontological sites in Patagonia, with traces of human habitation from 12,000 BC.
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| View from the main cave Cuevas de Mildon |
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Frigorífico de Puerto Borries/ Hotel Singular
The Hotel Singular has outstanding views of the surrounding mountains and the Sound of Last Hope. It also houses an industrial museum, revealing its origins as a sheep cold storage plant.
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| The former Frigorifico de Puerto Borries and current Hotel Singular |
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Torres del Paine
The park, 90 km north of Puerto Natales, has 15 peaks above 2,000 metres and stunning landscapes: towering pillars of volcanic rock, granite and limestone, blueish white glaciers and lakes reflecting the colours and forms of their surroundings.
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| View of the Paine massif Lago Sarmiento |
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Seno de Última Esperanza at Puerto Borries and Natales
In 1557 the Spanish explorer Juan Ladrilleros visited this area whilst searching for the western entrance of the Straits of Magellan (which lie some 200 km further south). He named the sound (seno) because it saw it as 'the last hope' of finding the Straits.
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| Statues on the edge of town, Puerto Natales |
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