Four kilometers north of Puerto Natales, the Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego built this state-of-the-art (for its time) meat freezer to prepare excess livestock, primarily sheep, for shipment to Europe.

Built between 1912 and 1914, of brick masonry in the Magellanic style, Frigorífico Bories is the only reasonably well-preserved plant of its kind. After expropriation by Allende’s government in 1971, it was partially dismantled and finally shut down a few years back.

Among the remaining structures are the rendering plant, which converted animal fat into tallow, the tannery that prepared hides for shipment, and the main offices, smithery, locomotive repair shop (Bories had its own short line), freight jetty, power plant, and boilers. The power plant still works.

Accommodations and food are available at Hotel Cisne Cuello Negro (tel. 061/411498, US$100/110 s/d with breakfast); make reservations through Turismo Pehoé (José Menén-dez 918, Punta Arenas, tel. 061/244506, ventas [at] pehoe [dot] cl).