Experiences on the borders of South America and on the trail of the Magellan Strait

Oñemoherakuãva: 12.01.2017

After having some luck with booking our bus to Chile, where we managed to get 2 of the last 3 available seats on the bus, on January 7th it was time to pack our backpacks and head to our second South American country, Chile. The bus journey was estimated to take about 5 hours, so we hoped to arrive in Puerto Natales shortly after noon. However, we didn't take the South American border controls into account. When we reached the border between Argentina and Chile, we had to get off the bus and line up in a queue in front of a hut. We stood there for about an hour, happily waiting for our departure stamp and a piece of paper to fill out with the customs regulations for entering Chile. :-P

The following picture shows how organized the whole process was. :-D

Once we were back on the bus, we had a 5-minute drive to the Chilean immigration control. However, we had to wait for almost an hour on the bus before it was our turn. As part of the entry formalities in Chile, all luggage has to go through a scanner, as the transport of fruits, vegetables, meat, animal products, and cheese is not allowed. This procedure took us another hour, so we ended up arriving in Puerto Natales almost 3 hours later than initially planned.

The rest of the day was spent booking further bus trips and accommodations, buying supplies, and settling into our really nice room at the Singing Lamb Hostel, which is highly recommended. A tip at this point: what we didn't know beforehand but unconsciously did right is to book buses (to go back to Argentina as well) from Chile, as they are significantly cheaper than in Argentina. So far, we were glad to have only booked the outward journey.

The next day, it was time to go "see the penguins" in the port city of Punta Arenas (the southernmost city in Chile). The bus trip for the over 200km distance cost us about €9 per person.

When we arrived at our accommodation in Punta Arenas, we realized that there can be quite a difference between hostels despite good reviews. The hostel we booked, mainly because of the lack of alternatives, was more of a "shabby dive" where we originally planned to stay for 3 nights. Attached is a comparison photo with the other accommodation. This immediately prompted us to take action. While Tobi booked the upcoming penguin tour online, Lisa took care of canceling one night and booking an additional night in Puerto Natales. Later, the bus was rescheduled for one more day and a few hours, so we only had to stay there as long as possible. :-D

The next day, the long-awaited penguin tour was on the agenda. It took us to Isla Magdalena, located 35km away in the middle of the Magellan Strait, by ferry. The Magellan Strait is a channel with numerous islands and tributaries between the South American mainland and Tierra del Fuego. It connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and was one of the most important shipping routes until the opening of the Panama Canal.

Isla Magdalena has been a nature reserve (Monumento Natural Los Pingüinos) since 1966 and is home to well over 100,000 Magellanic penguins, which return to the island every September for the breeding and nesting phase and leave again in April with their fully grown offspring. We booked the tour through Comapa and it is highly recommended. We never thought we would get so close to the animals, but now we prefer to let the pictures speak for themselves... Tip: wear windproof and weatherproof clothing, as the wind is really merciless and cold. :-)