Full-Day Punta Arenas and Magellan Strait Tour

Booked this trip independently of our ship Coral Princess with my wife and 4 friends, we visited Punta Arenas on February 29th 2020. The ship was slightly late in docking due to a late departure from Ushuaia the previous day as a result we later leaving the ship to meet our tour. We were met at the quayside by our tour guide and driver, we were just the six in a mini bus for the duration of the trip. Edmundo, our tour guide, explained that we would be travelling along the coast road to the national park, small museum and Fort Beule. The fee for the entrance to the park was not included in the cost of the tour. This turned out to be about $96 for the six of us. The ticket office accepts cards and a variety of currencies including US dollars. The journey to our first stop took around 30 to 45 minutes, we spotted dolphins and Eduardo told us there was a good chance to see whales as they were in the area at this time of the year. The journey was interesting looking at the variety in house styles, most built on stilts in small communities, along the road.Our first stop was at a cross roads prior to the national park, this was a way marker with distances to Buenos Aires and Antartica highlighted. Leaving the park ticket office we had a 10 to 15 minute ride to the museum and viewing spot. We parked at the entrance to the Fort area to take photographs on the way to the museum. Here Eduardo gave us a brief insight into the history of the area. The museum was small and , unfortunately, badly lit which made it almost impossible to read the information about Magellan and the exploration and settlement of the area. The lighting may have been for atmosphere or to protect exhibits but it rather spoiled our full enjoyment of the visit. There was an exhibit of the scientific developments in navigation which lead to European exploration. We had 30 minutes within the museum site and viewing area. We then moved on to the Fort itself along a short hilly dirt road. The Fort is a reproduction built on the site of the original settlement before the settlers moved to Punta Arenas as it could be better defended against the indigenous peoples, and was better for farming. The Fort was an interesting place with buildings made from timber and turf. Within one of the larger building was an interesting display about the settlement of Punta Arenas. The views across the channel were well worth the visit, we had around 30 to 40 minutes to explore the fort and take photographs of the views. There was a small incline on grass and unpaved pathways around the fort which may not be suitable for anyone with mobility issues. Leaving the fort we retraced our journey back to the city of Punta Arenas, this took around 40 minutes. Our first stop in the city was the main square, surrounding the square are some of the important buildings of the town. Eduardo was excellent at pointing these out to us and took us across the square to see the former home of Sarah Braun an important early member of Punta Arenas society. Leaving the central square were taken to the town cemetery which is now a world heritage site. Within the cemetery we were shown the important Mausoleums of Punta Arenas important citizens. Being English we found this visit very strange but nonetheless interesting to learn about the culture of this area. Our final stop was five minutes from the cemetery by mini bus, we were taken to a viewing area high above the dock and main city area. This was a good viewing point giving a panorama of the city with it's many coloured houses. We were returned to the dock area in plenty of time to walk back to the ship before departure. All in all an interesting day with Eduardo ready to answer our questions. Final comment, there is no lunch with this trip, there was a small cafe in the museum but we did not really have time to have a coffee or snack.

We were greeted at the cruise port by our guide (Marlon) at the meeting point and at the designated time. Marlon was very friendly and informative on many aspects of the area and Chili and answered all of our questions. Being a private tour with a driver, Marlon was able to fully focus on us and the tour. We were able to visit many different sites and explore at our own pace. There were many opportunities for some incredible photos and Marlon would not hesitate to stop our car for any photos we wanted to take. Marlon gave us a full day visiting several interesting Punta Arenas sites besides the main purpose of the trip, the fort. A special thanks to Marlon for a fun day!

The tour team (guide and driver) did an excellent job in sharing the highlights of Punta Arenas. They were very friendly, informative and supportive in answering our many question. The pace was very comfortable.

We had a fabulous day out in amazing weather. Our hotel pick up went smoothly and our guide was informative, warm, helpful and friendly.The sky was a brilliant clear blue for the whole trip which meant we saw everything at its best. The drive along the Strait of Magellan was amazing, especially for the views and bird life.The Museum of the Strait at the entrance to the Park is small but highly recommended; the exhibits are labelled in English and Spanish. The weather made the tour around the reconstruction of Fort Bulnes and walk through the Magellenic woodland to the viewpoint over the Strait and amount Tarn a joy. Make sure you have gloves, hats and a warm jacket though as the wind is biting.Back in Punta Arena we particularly enjoyed the view over the city, the tour of the cemetery and the visit to the Shepherd Monument.In our opinion, a ‘must do’ tour for anyone visiting Punta Arenas!

It was a very enjoyable day. Johnny was our guide. Be aware that the fee for the fort is NOT include and is 28 for each person. You can pay with a credit card. there is a tour guide both i the information center and at the fort who is fluent in English. Pick up was easy. This was a private tour with the driver and Johnny.

We were so glad to took this tour! Our cruise ship offered various specific tours we saw everything in a private vehicle. Our guide, Gabriel was great! He knew when/where to visit the sites, so we never experienced a crowd. We saw Fort Baines, Museu de Sitio, and toured the center of the city. Highly recommended!

Heading towards Fuerte Bulnes, on the Magellan Strait is an absolute must while in Punta Arenas. Nature wise this place is stunning. Also, the museum in a must. Our tour guide was very kind and even took some extra time to walk with us in the town of Punta Arenas. Highly recommend.