Punta Arenas is the largest urban outpost before entering the area most frequently visited by travelers and explorers: Torres del Paine National Park.
Additionally, it's known as a springboard for those who continue onward to the sheep ranches of Tierra del Fuego and the mythic Cape Horn, a place that has been a silent witness to countless feats of bravery by intrepid navigators whose deeds became legend, which today are part of the history of the only place in the world where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans unite.
With its mausoleums and park, the cemetery of Punta Arenas is one of the visited sites of the city. Meticulously cared-for trees surround the park, and its corridors and open spaces invite you to meditate and introspect. The Muñoz Gamero Plaza is the touristic and main center. It was declared a "Zona Típica" (meaning a traditional zone representative of the area's culture) en 1991 and is surrounded by historical buildings constructed by the colonizing "pioneers," many of which belonged to Croatian
immigrant families.
Punta Arenas is a duty free zone, so it's perfect for getting deep discounts and a sales tax exemption. The casino at the "Dreams" Hotel is another must see which will broaden your horizons.
Just a few minutes from the airport is the Straight of Magellan, an essential part of the journey for large vessels and scientific ships that make their way from there to the Great White Continent.
To the northwest is Brunswick Peninsula, plus the penguin nesting site of Otway Cove at about 65 kilometers from Punta Arenas, where these Patagonian creatures make their home between September and April. Visits to this area allow you to interact with this famous species of birds in their natural habitat.