Day 28: Punta Arenas - Southernmost City on Earth

The Chilean port city of Punta Arenas is located at the southernmost point of the South American continent on the famous Strait of Magellan, which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The capital of the "Magallan Region and the Chilean Antarctic" extends over 17,526 square kilometers in the Chilean Patagonian region on the Brunswick Peninsula - directly opposite Tierra del Fuego. With a population of 120,000, Punta Arenas is the southernmost city on Earth, just over 1,000 kilometers from Antarctica, but already 3,090 kilometers from the Chilean capital, Santiago de Chile.

Tonight we arrived in Punta Arenas through the Strait of Magellan. The sea was calm. Today was a sunny day at around 10°. Punta Arenas has a square layout, similar to New York City, making it easy to navigate. We walked through the old town on foot, as the main attractions are within a radius of 2 km. This includes, of course, the famous statue of Ferdinand Magellan, which stands in the Plaza de Armas in the center. Another attraction is the famous municipal cemetery with its perfectly trimmed cypresses and conifers. It is said to be the second most famous cemetery in all of Argentina and is a testament to the former prosperity of some trading families.

On the way back, we took a break in a small restaurant and realized that the "English spoken" sign was greatly exaggerated. The language skills were just enough to hand us an English menu. And that was it. So we relied on our rudimentary Spanish and Google Translator, but the atmosphere was very nice and cozy. While the beer and Caesar salad were served as expected, when ordering a coffee, only hot water with Nescafé powder came. Petra was frustrated and could only be cheered up by leaving some of the really good soup. Next door, we then bought cute little sheep and sweaters in a small shop. The prices were almost at German level.

Overall, the place is not spectacular, but on a beautiful sunny day like today, it is still worth a leisurely stroll. We were supposed to depart at 5:00 p.m., but we were delayed by two sea lions blocking the ropes, so everything was delayed by about half an hour. On this occasion, the captain informed us that on our next route around Cape Horn, we can expect gusts of wind of up to 30 knots and waves of at least 5 m high, which is why he will take a more protected route. Overall, the weather is getting noticeably more uncomfortable.

Next to the pier, there was the Silver Explorer, a small cruise ship for polar sea voyages. Accordingly, it was equipped with stable high-powered inflatable boats and kayaks. Punta Arenas is also the starting point for many Antarctic expeditions.