In the past 20 years, Puerto Natales has changed from a sleepy wool and fishing port on what seemed the aptly named Seno Última Esperanza—“Last Hope Sound“—to a bustling tourist town whose season has lengthened well beyond the traditional summer months of January and February. Its proximity to the famous Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, coupled with its status as the southern terminus for the scenic ferry route from Puerto Montt, has placed it on the international travel map, utterly transforming the local economy.

While Natales has no knockout attractions in its own right, the town enjoys a magnificent seaside setting, with the snow-capped Cordillera Sarmiento and Campo de Hielo Sur, the southern Patagonian ice cap, visible over the water to the west, and the waterfront is far more presentable than in the past. For visitors to Paine and other regional sights, it has abundant services, including tour operators and rental equipment, while there are also convenient connections to the Argentine town of El Calafate and Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.

The Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego, which owned large tracts of pasture in both Chile and Argentina, financed construction of Natales’ gingerbread-style Municipalidad, dating from 1929 (many might have said the powerful Sociedad Explotadora was the region’s de facto government). Immediately east, the Iglesia Parroquial María Auxiliadora dates from the same era and shares its Magellanic style.

In the same exterior fashion but with a roomier interior that displays its holdings to advantage, the Museo Histórico Municipal (Bulnes 285, tel. 061/411263, muninata [at] ctcinternet [dot] cl) offers displays on natural history, archaeology, and the region’s aboriginal peoples, European settlement, and the rural economy (including the Sociedad Explotadora), Puerto Natales’s own urban evolution, and the Carabineros police, who played a role in the museum’s creation. Hours are 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 2:30–6 p.m. weekdays, 3–6 p.m. weekends. Admission costs US$1 for Chileans, US$2 for foreigners.

On the eastern shores of Seno Último Esperanza, Puerto Natales (pop. 16,978) is 250 kilometers northwest of Punta Arenas via paved Ruta 9. It is 150 kilometers south of Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, also by Ruta 9, which is paved for 13 kilometers north of the city.

Getting There

By Air: LAN/LanExpress no longer has a separate office here, but Turismo Comapa (Bulnes 533, tel. 061/414300, fax 061/414361) handles reservations and tickets. Punta Arenas–bound buses will drop passengers at that city’s Aeropuerto Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo.

By Bus:There is frequent bus service to and from Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine, and regular but less frequent service to the Argentine destinations of Río Turbio, Río Gallegos, and El Calafate.

Carriers include Bus Sur (Baquedano 500, tel. 061/411859), Buses Sur (Baquedano 534, tel. 061/411325), Buses Fernández (Ramírez 399, tel. 061/411111), Buses Pacheco (Baquedano and O’Higgins, tel. 061/414513), Buses Transfer (Bulnes 518, tel. 061/412616), Buses JB (Prat 258, tel. 061/412824), Buses Fortaleza (Prat 234, tel. 061/410595), Buses María José (Bulnes 386, tel. 061/414312), Turismo Viento Sur (Baquedano 414, tel. 061/613840, puertonatales [at] vientosur [dot] com), Buses Cootra (Baquedano 454, tel. 061/412785), and Turismo Zaahj (Prat 236, tel. 061/412260).

By Ferry: Turismo Comapa/Navimag (Bulnes 533, tel. 061/414300, www.navimag.com) operates the weekly car/passenger ferry MV Magallanes between the mainland Chilean city of Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales. The boat normally leaves Puerto Montt Monday and arrives in Puerto Natales on Thursday morning. Early in the peak summer season, it’s fairly easy to get a northbound berth, but later in the season reservations are advisable. Fares depend on the season and quality of accommodations but range US$275–1,720 pp with full board. Vehicles (including bikes) cost extra.

Northbound sailing day is usually Friday at 6 a.m., but weather and tides can change schedules. Passengers normally spend the night on board before these early-morning departures, but Navimag also has a Sala de Espera (waiting room) immediately across from the new pier.