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On the banks of Skyring sound, Puerto Natales has grown in recent years to meet the growing tourist demand generated by nearby Torres del Paine and other national parks accessible only by maritime cruise ships . Most visitors fly into the airport in neighboring Punta Arenas.
Puerto Natales, city capital of Ultima Esperanza province, is 247 km. from Punta Arenas, 256 km. from Rio Gallegos (Argentina), 362 km. from Calafate (Argentina), and 48 km. from Rio Turbio (Argentina).
Puerto Natales is the boarding gate to beautiful natural landscapes as those known all over the world of the Torres del Paine National Park, Cueva del Milodon natural reserve and Los Glaciares National Park (Argentina); in winter, the ski runs of Rio Turbio and by sea the glaciers of Balmaceda and Serrano mountains and the seven glaciers of the Canal de las Montanas.
The name of the city comes from the Latin term "natalis", which means birth. The city is located at the bank of Channel Senoret inlet, which mixes its waters at the south with Almirante Montt gulf, a big interior sea and at the north with Ultima Esperanza fiord, named like this (Last Hope) by its discoverer in 1577, Juan de Ladrillero, who was desperately searching, without success, the west way out of the Magellan Strait.
Puerto Natales was founded in 1911 and has 19,031 inhabitants (2002 census). Was colonized by Chileans from the magic island of Chiloe, who contributed with their manpower to the development of stockbreeding, activity initiated mainly by German and English colonists who, with their particular persistence, transformed the Patagonia into one of the main cattle producers and exporters of the world, until the end of the seventies.
The splendid territory that surrounds the city is dominated by cattle ranches and the adjoining circle by plots and small kitchen gardens producers of vegetables and other land products farmed with the organic seal of quality.
The city has a good tourist infrastructure outstanding coffee shops, restaurants, a casino, small and picturesque shopping, a history museum, and travel agencies offering unmissable panoramas. Its attractive hotel organization goes from big hotels to small boarding houses with personalized service. A well-equipped airport links Puerto Natales with the whole world. The maritime access is through a ferry from Puerto Montt once a week.
TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK Torres del Paine sector is an extensive geographic zone with numerous natural attractions that includes from the Torres del Paine National Park, a known world Biosphere Reserve to the limit of Ultima Esperanza and Magallanes provinces. The Fairway lighthouse is the southwestern extreme of the zone and is located in the Pacific Ocean mouth of the Magellan Strait.
PUERTO NATALES CITY AND MAIN ATTRACTIONS Capital city of Ultima Esperanza province. Founded in 1911 it is located in a small headland of smooth slope. Base city for excursions to Torres del Paine National Park and Bernardo O'Higgins National Park for which it has a good tourist infrastructure.
PUERTO NATALES SQUARE The main square is in the center of the city across from the catholic parish and the administrative buildings, Municipality and Governor's office. Wide and lovely, has exotic trees, among them pines. This one-hectare place is the biggest green lung of the city. Its space and environment invite photographs.
HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF PUERTO NATALES It is located in Bulnes street 285. Presents several subjects divided in several rooms: World and Primitive Environment Room, Colonization Room, Rural Life Room, Life and urban Activities Room, Carabineros de Chile Room.
SALESIAN MUSEUM "ALBERTO DE AGOSTINI" Located in Padre Rossa Street 1456, belongs to the Salesian School. It has an interesting sample of flora and fauna of the province.
EXCURSION PATH MIRADOR DOROTEA Located in parcel Nr. 14 of family Saavedra-Uribe, 11 km. from Puerto Natales following route 9. The trekking lasts two hours and ends at the Mirador, from where may be seen the landscape that surrounds the city.
PORT BORIES Great industrial complex founded in 1913 by the Sociedad Explotadora Tierra del Fuego to process the production of its 3 estancias in this sector.
Today only works as a cold-storage plant and slaughterhouse. It has impressive installations: freezing chamber, greasing, tanning, meat conservation and wool laundry. It was declared historical monument in 1996.
NATURAL RESERVE LOS PINGUINOS Located in the Magellan Strait, 35 km. north of Punta Arenas, this protected wild area was created in August of 1966 as National Park and reclassified as natural reserve in 1982. Its aim is to protect the bird life of the place, penguins, cormorants, southern Chile penguin colonies, whose population is estimated in 60,000 couples of Magellan penguins (Sphenicus Magallanicus), which means more than the 95 per cent of the bird life biomass. To reach this reserve is necessary a 2 hours approx. Navigation by the Strait.
NATURAL RESERVE LAGUNA DE LOS CISNES The natural reserve Laguna de los Cisnes (swan's lagoon) is located in Porvenir, Tierra del Fuego. There also are here colonies of beautiful flamingoes and other birds.
NATURAL RESERVE CUEVA DEL MILODON Declared historical monument in 1968 and in process of being declared national reserve, it is located at 3 km. from Eberhard fiord and 24 km. north of Puerto Natales. This natural reserve is formed by three caves and a rocky conglomeration named "Silla del Diablo" (devil's chair). The biggest of these caves is 150 meters above sea level and its measures are 30 meters high, 50 meters wide and 200 meters depth. The scientific interest of the place is owed to the finding, in 1896, of hide, bones and other rests of an extinct animal, the MILODON (Mylodon darwini), a herbivore of big size extinguished probably a the end of the Pleistocene. According to some investigations, the Milodon live at least 5,000 years ago along with other animals such as the Midget Horse, the sabre-toothed tiger and the Great Guanaco named Macraucheria. The Tourism Service, after an investigation of the existing records of the Milodon, made a reproduction of natural size of this herbivore, which is in display in the cave were the rests were found
PUERTO EDEN Ultima Esperanza province, Chile
Puerto Eden is sited at Wellington Island and is the last populated place in the sea-lane between Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales, sailing on Messier Channel in the area of South Patagonian Ice Field. Puerto Eden can only be reached by seaway from Puerto Montt, from north to south, or from Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales south to north.
Their first inhabitants were native tribes of the region, Kawescar or Alacalufes. Nowadays lives here the last members of this ethnic group, ready to extinction. President Pedro Aguirre Cerda, in 1939, ordered the Air Force to give protection and help to the Kawescar, making the most of the presence in Puerto Eden of the radio station of help to aerial navigation for flights among Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas. Today Puerto Eden has about 250 inhabitants
The main economic activity is fishery, extraction of mussels and civil service. Puerto Eden is 2,075 km. from Santiago, 442 nautical miles from Punta Arenas and 245 nautical miles from Puerto Natales. Telephone communication is very basic, they have just one public telephone that works between 10 and 13 o'clock (Chilean time).
CERRO CASTILLO
Main town of Torres del Paine municipality, born from the cask of a great estancia founded in 1906 by Sociedad Explotadora Tierra del Fuego.
It is located 57 km. northeast from Puerto Natales, through Route 9 north. It has 400 inhabitants, most of them cattle workers. Mots of its buildings come from the beginning of 20th century and belonged to the former estancia Cerro Castillo, the biggest of the continental side of Magallanes y Antartica Chilena Region.
In spring-summer season there are traditional cultural events, such as shearing, rodeo, Chilean races, colt break in, etc.
Among interesting places to visit in Cerro Castillo village are:
The Cemetery, where were buried the first colonist at the beginning of 20th century, 2 km. from the village;
· The Grotto, image of Santa Teresa de los Andes (in Anahi del Valle ranch);
· Laguna Escondida (hidden lagoon), small and beautiful among the trees, that may be reached only on horseback (Anahi del Valle ranch);
· Condors viewpoint, geological fault that is used as nests by these birds that can be watched from a ravine plain 20 meters far (Anahi del Valle ranch). To visit these places it is necessary to contact the ranchers in whose land are these attractions.
VILLA TEHUELCHES
Villa Tehuelches is the main town of Laguna Blanca and is located 100 km. from Punta Arenas, in Chilean Patagonia. Its main activity is cattle and country work. Once a year, in January it is carried out a famous festival, the "Shearing Festival", where it is possible to see the best and selective shearing techniques and many other activities related to the event. The shearing is very attractive and leaves the sheeps in better conditions for warm season (Between December and May).
VILLA BERNARDO O´HIGGINS
Punta Delgada (thin point) is the main town of San Gregorio, a sector of the Magellan Strait in Chilean Patagonia, located 170 km. from Punta Arenas and 313 km. from Puerto Natales. Here there is a ferry terminal to cross the Strait to Tierra del Fuego. One of its attractions is the ancient Punta Delgada lighthouse that guides navigators at night. Punta Delgada is the seat of peasant farmers cooperative Bernardo O'Higgins, one of the most important of Chilean Patagonia. Some kilometers to the north is Pali Aike National Park, and to the east the oil camp Posesion. At the end of the same route is the eastern mouth of the Magellan Strait, where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean and is the old Dungeness lighthouse.
RIO VERDE
Rio Verde (Green River) is located 90 km. from Punta Arenas, on the way to Torres del Paine by Cruce Fabres. It has unexplored natural beauties, estancias (ranches) valleys, mountain chains and rivers, flora and fauna.
MAIN ACTIVITIES AT RIO VERDE PATAGONIA ROAST STICK STYLE (asado al palo)
Traditional stick roasted lamb in the local Inn.
SHEARING SHOW
To watch an entertaining traditional shearing show in Chilean Patagonia.
PLACES TO VISIT Rio Verde Village, English style construction. At seven kilometers there is an inn with the same name. Virgen de Monserrat sanctuary, 22 km. from Rio Verde inn. Riesco Island, in front of Rio Verde Inn, beautiful island with Patagonian estancias. Wonderful view of mountain chains and valleys.
CERRO SOMBRERO
Town located at the north of Tierra del Fuego Island, 125 km. far from Porvenir. It is the natural entrance to the Chilean-Argentinean Tierra del Fuego charm by the north. It is also the main city of Primavera commune.
In the north extreme of the island is Bahia Lomas, where there is a great geographic accident of biotic importance in natural systems. Keens on bird watching will enjoy a special nesting zone with a great variety of beach birds, as much residents as migratories.
From Cerro Sombrero it is possible to go to Punta Catalina, at the northeast, or Punta Espora, to the northwest, where is maritime transportation to the continent, crossing Primera Angostura in Punta Delgada.
VILLA CAMERON
Villa Cameron is located 151 km. from Porvenir on Tierra del Fuego island. Bordering the coast to the south is Timaukel, then Puerto Yartou and finally Puerto Arturo.
During the journey from Porvenir to Villa Cameron you will find small towns and estancias, besides the Onaisin English Cemetery, one of the ancient places of historical value of the zone.
