Hospedaje Magallanes

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Important - Please read!

Starting Jan. 01, 2013, we (Turismo Aonikenk Ltda.) continue to happily organize any of the tours below for anyone who is staying at our Bed & Breakfast "Hospedaje Magallanes".

Tours

Humpback Whale Watching in the Strait of Magellan

Posted on by pulinase
  • Duration: 12 - 14 hours
  • Departures: From December 1 to March 31 each year
  • Activity level: Easy, possible for everyone of any age in general good health

The first Marine Park of Chile “Francisco Coloane” in search of the majestic humpback whales. A close encounter with wild nature, a day of adventure that you will never forget.

A few years ago, a group of Chilean biologists discovered an until then unexplored feeding ground of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) on the southernmost tip of South America. Every Patagonian summer, these astonishing marine mammals return to an area around Carlos III Island, which is located right in the legendary Strait of Magellan.

Their passion for science and their love for nature has led to the creation of Chile’s first marine protected area, Francisco Coloane Marine Park.

Turismo Aonikenk/ Hospedaje Magallanes has been one of the main supporters of this project from its beginning in 2004, because we believe in conservation through science and tourism.

04:00 am

Check in at the office in down town.

04:30 am

Boarding. We start the navigation through Magellan strait observing the amazing sunrise by Tierra del Fuego, Fuerte Bulnes, first settlement of Punta Arenas. [B]

06:30 am

Crossing Froward Cape, last point of the American continental territory. We will admire beautiful landscapes, exuberant flora and big hanging glaciers from Darwin range.

09:00 am – 12:00 pm

Navigation across the Marine Park “Francisco Coloane” observing humpback whales, Magellan penguins, sea elephants, sea lions, toninas, austral dolphins, cormorants, albatros and a great diversity of sea birds. [BL] 

17:30 pm 

Return to Punta Arenas. 

Note
All departure times of navigations depend on weather conditions. Changes in the program may occur without prior notice.

Tour Includes

  • Transfers according to the program
  • Bilingual tour guide (Spanish and English speaking)
  • Breakfast, lunch and coffee services
  • Whiskey with millenary ice 

Additional Costs

  • Optional tips to your guide and/ or other people working for you (e.g. the boatmen etc.

Departures

Tuesday – Thursday – Saturday – Sunday

Price

USD 350 per person (+ 13 years old)

USD 175 Child (4 – 12 years old)

What To Bring: Warm clothing and shoes, ideal waterproof

Although the focus of this half-day tour is on observing Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) and South American Sea Lions (Otaria flavescens), other animals that you may see on this tour include:

  • Cormorant (Phalacrocorax magallanicus)

  • Chilean Skua (Stercorarius chilensis)

  • Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus)

  • Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), also called Dominican Gull; very common

… and if you are somewhat lucky:

  • Chilean Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia), also called Black Dolphin, only found off the coast of Chile

  • Commerson’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii)

Dolphins Watching Tour by zodiac boats

Posted on by Hospedaje Magallanes
  • Duration: 10 hours
  • Departure: Every day at 6:00 AM, year-round
  • Activity Level: Moderate intensity, but still possible for everyone in general good health

Adventure in inflatable boat of the zodiac, in the area of San Isidro, in search of the beautiful Austral Dolphins, or (dolphin of Peale), sometimes we find big groups of 10, it is a complete joy to see them swimming next to the boat or in a Acrobatic jump. We could also see the colony of Sea Lions (if it is the right time of the year). Some birds will be our companions during this trip as Albatrosses and Petrels. You have to keep in mind to go on an adventure, sometimes to face a rough sea, and you have to cling to the boat, but all this is part of the navigation in the Strait of Magellan.

Between December and March some Humpback Whales visit the Cape and if the weather conditions allow, we can approach and see how they feed.

Every day at 7:00 a.m. with pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes in Punta Arenas. After an hour drive to the south of town and along of Estrecho de Magallanes, we will arrive at the starting point of our tour. You will enjoy a breakfast, meanwhile we prepare the zodiac boats and the equipment for this new adventure at the End of the World.

Be prepared, mentally, to be part of this navigation. Maybe you will have to face a rough sea and to cling to the boat, but all this is part of this adventure on the Estrecho de Magallaes. Return to the town, around 5.00 p.m.

Tour Includes

  • Transportation from/to Hospedaje Magallanes
  • Complete personal equipment to make it safe, dry and comfortable
  • Breakfast, lunch and snacks, including a good Chilean wine.

Additional Costs

  • Optional tips to your tour guide and/or your driver

Regular Departures

Daily at 7:00 a.m. (year-round).

Important

Please, keep in mind that this excursion depends on the weather conditions. This basically means, if it’s too windy, we won’t go – safety first!

Price

CLP 250.000 per person (about USD368 – p/p*)

* 2019 exchange rate

Torres del Paine National Park

Posted on by pulinase
  • Duration: 17 hours
  • Departure: Every day at 5:30 AM, year-round
  • Activity Level: Easy, possible for everyone of any age in general good health

Torres del Paine National Park, was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1978 and recognized as one of the most beautiful, unique and uncontaminated places on the planet.

This park is a combination of lakes, rivers, waterfalls, glaciers, forests and incredible wildlife… the perfect destination for your next adventure in Patagonia!

Every day at around 6.00 a.m., with pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes in Punta Arenas. Be prepared for a loooong road trip – remember, distances and therefore traveling time in Patagonia are huge. Half an hour drive out of Puerto Natales, we visit the Milodon Cave, where in 1896 the remains of a prehistoric giant ground slough were found. We continue overland and enter Torres del Paine National Park near Laguna Amarga, where we observe hundreds of guanacos and enjoy the first vistas of the Paine towers that rise above the immense pampas. Numerous stops and short walks allow us to get to know the national park from up close. With views of the incredible Cuernos we follow the gravel road until we reach the turquoise colored Salto Grande waterfall. On the Western side of this UNESCO world biosphere reserve rests Lago Grey. Walking along its Southern pebble stone beach, we take a closer look at the mansion-sized icebergs that flow in the lake and get a distant view of Grey Glacier, one of the 48 main glaciers of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Return to Puerto Natales and back to Punta Arenas around 23.30 p.m.

Important:

Experience tells us that some travelers underestimate the huge distances in Patagonia. For this reason it is very important that you understand what it takes to visit the Torres del Paine NP from Punta Arenas.

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from/ to Hospedaje Magallanes

  • English speaking tour guide

Additional Costs

  • Lunch, dinner (please bring your own)

Regular Departures

Our full-day tour to the Torres del Paine NP departs every day year-round.

Important:
Experience tells us that some travelers underestimate the huge distances in Patagonia. For this reason it is very important that you understand this tour will be a long road trip.

Price

CLP 50,000 per person (about USD 57 – p/p*)
Entrance fee to the Milodon Cave: CLP 5,000 (about USD 5 – pp*)
Entrance fee to Torres del Paine NP: CLP 21,000 (about USD 24 – pp*)
Optional tips to your tour guide and/ or your driver

* Dec 20, 2021 exchange rate

Of course, one of the main goal of this full-day tour will be to observe Condors (Vultur gryphus), but there’s much more to see…

Other species you may observe during this trip include

  • Guanaco (Lama guanicoe); the wild ancestor of the domesticated llama; fairly common in the Patagonian steppe and on Tierra del Fuego

  • Ñandu (Pterocnemia pennata); a large flightless bird similar to the ostrich, also called Darwin’s Rhea or Lesser Rhea; fairly common in the Patagonian steppe, but does not inhabit Tierra del Fuego

  • South American Gray Fox (Lycalopex griseus); a species of the “false” foxes, which is actually closer related to wild dogs than to foxes, also called Patagonian Fox

  • Andes Skunk or Chingue (Conepatus chinga); this animal is easy to identify by its small size, black fur, and the white stripe that runs from its head to its tail. Due to the smell of the liquid that it sprays as a method of defense.

… and if you’re somewhat lucky:

Mountain Lion or Puma (Puma concolor): This carniverous feline is one of the largest mammals found in the Americas. This animal is extremely dangerous and territorial, but avoids areas with humans, so attacks are rare.

Cabo Froward Trek – Self-Guided Wilderness Expedition

Posted on by pulinase
  • Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
  • Departure: October to April
  • Activity Level: Demanding trek through absolute wilderness with elevated level of difficulty

Let us show you the Southern-most tip of the South American Continent. This geographical extreme has been inaccessible to tourism for many years until now. This trek is for the more adventurous traveler, who is physically fit and willing to shoulder his own backpack. Virtually untouched forests, river crossings and the unpredictable weather make for a demanding, but unique experience. You pass abandoned whaling stations, estancias and walk along isolated bays, scarcely known, except to fishermen who patrol the shores in search of the day’s catch. This is truly the road less traveled.

Day 1: Punta Arenas – Bahia del Indio
Bus Punta Arenas – San Juan river or to end of the route. You start hiking alongside the legendary Straight of Magellan to the remains of San Isidrio Lighthouse and the ruins of a Whaling Station. Camping near an abandoned estancia.

Day 2: Bahia del Indio – Rio Nodales
You make your way to Rio de Gennes in an expedition-styled trek. The path leads us mainly through dense Fuegian Rain Forest and over spongy Bogs. You’ll cross Rio de Gennes with the tide’s favor and with luck you may see sea lions and porpoises on your way South. You make camp in a hidden forest near Rio Nodales.

Day 3: Cabo Froward – The Cross of the Seas
Cabo Froward Day! Today you leave your backpacks behind to reach The Southern-Most Tip of Continental South America, which is also called “Cruz de los Mares” and means: “Cross of the Seas.” The 360º view from the base of the cross, honoring the Pope’s 1984 visit, can be one of the most spectacular in Patagonia. Return at your base camp near Rio Nodales.

Day 4: Rio Nodales – Bahia del Indio
Return to Rio de Gennes, which you cross again at low tide. You retrace your steps once more, you sight Tierra del Fuego to the East and further South the snow-white peak of Monte Sarmiento, one of the most remarkable and difficult climbs of the Darwin Range. Continuing on to Estancia San Nicolas, where you can camp again.

Day 5: Bahia del Indio – Punta Arenas
On the hike out to the road, you take side trips to view both flora and fauna, which here still exist in harmony, as they should. Back to Punta Arenas.

Important:

Several foxes live in campsites areas. Although they don’t attak human being, they qre likely to rip your bags up looking for food. Hang your possession on a high branch during the night and when you’re not around them!

Bus Schedule Punta Arenas – San Juan
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays – year-round
There: 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Back:  9:15 a.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Official bus price: CLP 2.000 per person, one way (about USD 3 – p/p*)

* 2019 exchange rate

Location: Southern Chile, 40 miles (65 km) south of Punta Arenas

Distance: 47 miles (75.6 km) round-trip

Time duration: 3-5 days

Activity Level: This hike is demanding. The route includes six river crossings (three each way) and some slippery and jagged rocks that can be very hazardous when wet. It is also a remote area and not frequently traveled, with no cell phone reception.

Up-to-date info and buy your map at Hospedaje Magallanes (Magallanes 570 – Punta Arenas).

If you stay at Hospedaje Magallanes, ask for your Free Map!

Marta & Magdalena Islands

Posted on by pulinase

SEASON: From October 1 to March 31

  • Duration: 4,5 hours
  • Departure: daily at 6:30 AM
  • Activity Level: Easy, possible for everyone of any age in general good health

The penguin colony on Magdalena Island is the only penguin colony of Magellanic Penguins near Punta Arenas.

Los Pingüinos Natural Monument is located about 20 miles Northeast of Punta Arenas, right in the middle of the world-known Strait of Magellan and protects the islands Marta & Magdalena.

Magdalena Island is home to some 120,000 Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus), being the larges penguin colony in Chilean Patagonia. Marta Island protects about 1,000 South American Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens).

Where as the sea lions live there year-round, the penguins are migrating birds that come to Patagonia every year from mid September to mid April.

*This tour is the one with the “small boat”. The “small boat” goes to the the penguin colony at Isla Magdalena as well as to the sea lions at Isla Marta. If you “only” wish to see Magellanic Penguins, take a look at the tour with the “big boat”/ with the ferry, which will “only” take you to Isla Magdalena, but is also a bit less pricey.

6:30 a.m.: departure and a short shuttle transfer from the center of Punta Arenas 15 miles North to Laredo Bay. From here you go aboard a small boat for about 40 passengers. Takes around 60min to Isla Magdalena, where you have about 1 hour (the limit set by the park rangers) to walk amongst thousands of penguins. The path leads on a slight slope up to Magdalena Island Lighthouse. Back on board of the boat, you continue another 15min North to Marta Island to observe the sea lions. You won’t go on land here, but cruise back and forth on the coast a few times to observe these marine mammals.  Usually some of the sea lions come very close to the boat to check it out, as they are quite curious. It’s always the question who’s observing whom?! An hour boat ride later, you’re back on the Patagonian mainland and hop on the shuttle transfer to the center of Punta Arenas, where you arrive roughly around noon.

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from down town Punta Arenas to the pier and back
  • Entrance fee to Los Pingüinos Natural Monument
  • English speaking tour guide on board (not during the transfer from town to the pier and back)

Additional Costs

  • Optional tips to your tour guide, the boatmen and/ or your driver
  • Food not included. Bring your own snacks.

Regular Departures

This half-day tour to the islands Marta & Magdalena departs every day in High Season (from October to mid-April or when the penguins decide to migrate). Get in touch with us to assure.

Price for Regular Departures

USD 118 per person (+ 13 years old)

USD 59 child (4 – 12 years old)

Important

Please keep in mind that this excursion depends on the weather conditions. This basically means, if it is too windy, the tour can be canceled – safety first!

Although the focus of this half-day tour is on observing Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) and South American Sea Lions (Otaria flavescens), other animals that you may see on this tour include:

  • Cormorant (Phalacrocorax magallanicus)

  • Chilean Skua (Stercorarius chilensis)

  • Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus)

  • Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), also called Dominican Gull; very common

… and if you are somewhat lucky:

  • Chilean Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia), also called Black Dolphin, only found off the coast of Chile

  • Commerson’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii)

King Penguin Colony at Tierra del Fuego

Posted on by pulinase
  • Duration: 14 hours
  • Departure: Wednesday to Sunday at 7:00 AM, every week
  • Activity Level: Easy, possible for everyone of any age in general good health

This is truely quite a sensation!

There is a new colony of King Penguins establishing at Tierra del Fuego – and, guess what, we are happy to take you there!

King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are usually only found on subantarctic island, such as remote and difficult to access South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Observing them in Tierra del Fuego, therefore, is a very unique opportunity!

For quite a while now, we have been hearing rumors and in some occasions believed-to-be-true stories amongst some of the local elders that a long time ago there once was a king penguin colony at Tierra del Fuego. Today, a group of about 100 king penguins is reestablishing right at the same spot. For the first time one of their last season’s chicks has made it through the winter. We believe that this is a very good sign for a recovering ecosystem.

Let us go out to observe, spread the word and protect these magnificent seabirds in their natural habitat!

On top of this, the King Penguins live there year-round.

With this tour you will directly contribute to the protection of the King Penguins at Tierra del Fuego.

Every day (except Mondays) at around 7.30 am, with pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes in Punta Arenas. Be prepared for a loooong road trip – distances and therefore traveling time in Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego are huge. You have been warned! The drive through the Patagonian Pampa takes you at first about 2 hours Northeast of Punta Arenas to Primera Angostura, the first narrowing of the Strait of Magellan, if you would sail into the Strait from the Atlantic. On the way, stop at San Gregorio. Once a flourishing estancia, today it appear to be a ghost town. Later, cross the Strait of Magellan by ferry from the South American mainland to the island of Tierra del Fuego. From here, the only way is South. The landscape in the northern part of Tierra del Fuego is similar to that on the mainland, dominated by the vast, windswept Patagonian steppe. Roughly another 2,5 hours drive later, we reach the King Penguin Colony. Spend about one hour at the penguin colony. Join your guide to approach the penguins on foot. We will keep a fair distance, not to disturb them – penguins first! After a while, the penguins tend to forget about us visitors (or they might simply not care about our presence) and usually come closer on their own – sometimes as close as 15 meters, sometimes a bit closer, but again: we’ll let them decide! After a great experience and high quality observation, we return to Punta Arenas to arrive at about 09:30 pm – sometimes even later!

Important:

Experience tells us that some travelers underestimate the huge distances in Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego. For this reason it is very important that you understand what it takes to visit the King Penguins at Bahía Inútil in Tierra del Fuego.

 

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from/to Hospedaje Magallanes

  • Ferry tickets across the Strait of Magellan

  • English speaking tour guide

Additional Costs

  • Lunch (please bring your own)
  • Entrance fee to the King Penguin Park: CLP 12,000 (about USD 14.- pp*)

    This fee will help to build basic infrastructure including fences to protect the penguins from natural predators like Patagonian Foxes (which were introduced to Tierra del Fuego and are therefore not native to the island), potentially from stray dogs, but also from potential human misbehavior. This entrance fee will therefore allow for a long lasting establishment of this king penguin colony – and this is what it’s all about!

  • Optional tips to your tour guide and/ or your driver

Regular Departures

Our full-day tour to the King Penguin Colony at Tierra del Fuego departs every week (Except Modays).

Important

Although, this tour is mainly a road trip, we have to cross the Strait of Magellan twice. The ferry sails almost always. Nevertheless, delays may occur due to weather conditions that may result in a very late arrival back in Punta Arenas. 

Price

CLP 80,000 per person (about USD 93 – p/p*)

+ Entrance fee to the King Penguin Park: CLP 12,000 (about USD 14.- p/p*)

* Aug 29, 2023 exchange rate

Of course, the main goal of this full-day tour is to observe King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), but there’s much more to see…

Other species you may observe during this trip include

  • Guanaco (Lama guanicoe); the wild ancestor of the domesticated llama; fairly common in the Patagonian steppe and on Tierra del Fuego
  • Ñandu (Pterocnemia pennata); a large flightless bird similar to the ostrich, also called Darwin’s Rhea or Lesser Rhea; fairly common in the Patagonian steppe, but does not inhabit Tierra del Fuego

  • South American Gray Fox (Lycalopex griseus); a species of the “false” foxes, which is actually closer related to wild dogs than to foxes, also called Patagonian Fox

  • Southern Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus); a bird of prey often seen perched on trees and fence poles; very common

… and if you’re somewhat lucky:

  • Chilean Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia), also called Black Dolphin, only found off the coast of Chile

  • Commerson’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii)

… which may be observed during the ferry crossing from the Patagonian mainland to Tierra del Fuego.

Kayak Tour to San Isidro Lighthouse

Posted on by pulinase
  • Duration: 10 hours
  • Departure: daily at 7:00 AM, year-round
  • Activity Level: Moderate, possible for beginners as long as you are in good health and good physical condition

Patagonia… For most people, Patagonia stands for show-capped mountains, calving glaciers and seemingly endless, windswept Pampa…

… fair enough, but there is more to it! Patagonia is also a pristine, maritime ecosystem.

Wouldn’t a perfect full-day tour let you get to know a little bit of both?

Ladies and Gentlemen, let us invite you to an unforgettable adventure, here, at the End of the World!

Explore Southern Patagonia with this Sea Kayak Tour on the world-known Strait of Magellan!

This full-day sea kayak tour runs every day on request – year-round, therefore, also during the Patagonian winter.

This sea kayak tour is possible for beginners.

Note:

Although, the snow-capped mountain in the back of the image above is the remarkable Monte Sarmiento, you won’t really see glaciers on this tour (there are better places for that), but experience an outstanding insight of maritime Patagonia along the shore of evergreen, almost jungle-like terrestrial Patagonia that is covered by temperate rain forest.

This full-day tour begins at 7:00 a.m. with pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes. After a little more than an hour and a half drive South, changing into the kayaking clothes and a brief introduction on how to use the kayaking equipment and kayaking itself, you are ready to take off to explore the coast line of Southern Patagonia from the sea. You will be kayaking on the legendary Strait of Magellan and if you are lucky, a school of dolphins joins you during the sea kayaking (but, be aware that there is no guarantee for this, of course!). Continue towards San Isidro Lighthouse. We stop for lunch at a nearby bay, probably in company of some ducks and other sea birds. After visiting the lighthouse, paddle to Bahía Aguila, the Eagle’s Bay, where at the beginning of the last century a whaling station was located. In the afternoon, return the same way back to Punta Arenas. The total kayaking time is about six hours. After a long day and tons a new experiences, return to the hostel just after 8:00 p.m.

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from/to Hospedaje Magallanes

  • Complete kayak equipment: double kayaks, paddles, spraydecks, wetsuits, kayaking booties, kayaking gloves, kayaking jackets, life vests, bilge pump
  • Lunch

  • English speaking kayak guide

Additional Costs

  • Optional tips to your tour guide and/ or your driver

Departures & Prices

Regular Departures

The full-day kayak tour on the Strait of Magellan to San Isidro Lighthouse departs every day on request (year-round).

Important

Please keep in mind that this excursion depends on the weather conditions. This basically means, if it’s too windy, we might have to change the itinerary or we won’t go at all – safety first!

Price

CLP 250.000 per person (about USD 335.- pp*)

* 2019 exchange rate

Kayak Tour on the Strait of Magellan

Posted on by pulinase
  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Departure: daily, 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM year-round
  • Activity Level: Easy to moderate, more active tours, but still possible for everyone of any age in general good health

Get to know Punta Arenas from a different point of view.

Since Punta Arenas is located right at the world-known Strait of Magellan, what would be more reasonable than getting it to know the surroundings of the city from the sea?

How about a Kayak Tour on the Strait of Magellan?

Our half-day kayak tour runs twice a day – year-round, therefore, also during the Patagonian winter.

This kayak tour is possible for beginners.

Daily at 8:00 a.m. pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes in Punta Arenas. After a 30 minute transfer out of town and changing into the kayaking clothes and a brief introduction on how to use the kayaking equipment and kayaking itself, you are ready to take off. Directly in front of the city center you will be kayaking on the Strait of Magellan. The total kayaking time is about two hours. Return to our hotel just after 1:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m.

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from/to Hospedaje Magallanes

  • Complete kayak equipment: double kayaks, paddles, spraydecks, wetsuits, kayaking booties, kayaking gloves, kayaking jackets, life vests, bilge pump

  • Snack

  • English speaking kayak guide

Additional Costs

  • Optional tips to your tour guide and/ or your driver

Regular Departures

Our half-day kayak tour on the Strait of Magellan departs daily at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (year-round).

Important

Please keep in mind that this excursion depends on the weather conditions. This basically means, if it’s too windy, we won’t go – safety first!

Price

CLP 90,000 per person (about USD 105 – p/p*)

* Aug 29, 2023 exchange rate

Horseback Riding Patagonia Style

Posted on by pulinase
  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Departure: daily, 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, year-round
  • Activity Level: Easy to moderate, more active tours, but still possible for everyone of any age in general good health

Enjoy the surroundings of Punta Arenas with this Horseback Riding Tour – Patagonia Style.

This tour is being guided by true gauchos, the Patagonian cowboys, as so to say. This way, you will not only experience a taste of adventure while riding through the diverse Patagonian landscape, but also an authentic inside view about the life of the people in Patagonia.

Our half-day horseback riding tour runs twice a day – year-round, therefore, also during the Patagonian winter.

This horseback riding tour is possible for beginners.

Daily at 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. Pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes in Punta Arenas. After a short shuttle transfer, arrive about 25km (15 miles) South of Punta Arenas, at Agua Fresca. Meet your guide at Hostería Agua Fresca, a small, family-run lodge. This tour is being guided by born-anailyd-bred Patagonian Gauchos that live here, in Agua Fresca. Ride along the famous Strait of Magellan, through wetlands that are inhabited by numerous birds and through high grown lenga forests. It won’t be boring, for sure! After about two hours on horseback, return to Hostería Agua Fresca for a typical, home-made snack. Return to your hotel in Punta Arenas at about 1:00/ 5:00 p.m.

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from/to Hospedaje Magallanes

  • Spanish speaking guide

The gauchos speak very little English, it would be too much to say that this tour is being led by an English speaking guide. Please keep this in mind and be prepared to possibly communicate with your hands and feet… 😉

Additional Costs

  • Optional tips to your tour guide and/ or your driver

Regular Departures

Our half-day horseback riding tour departs daily at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (year-round).

Price

CLP 55.000 per person (about USD 64 – p/p*)

* Aug 29, 2023 exchange rate

Fort Bulnes & Port Famine

Posted on by pulinase
Historic tour – Half Day – by land
  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Departure: daily at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM, year-round
  • Activity Level: Easy, possible for everyone of any age in general good health

Join a historic tour to Fort Bulnes & Port Famine.

In 1584, the Spanish navigator Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa founded the first settlement in Southern Patagonia to proclaim the region in the name of the Spanish crown. Gamboa’s colony “Ciudad de Rey Don Felipe” (King Philip City) turned out to be a disaster and did not last for long. About 300 people died of starvation, diseases or were killed in conflicts with the natives. The place soon became know as Puerto del Hambre (Port Famine).

In 1843, the Chilean government sent out an expedition to build the first Chilean settlement in Patagonia, Fort Bulnes, very close to Gamboa’s original settlement. The reason was quite similar, hence to emphasize the Chilean authority over these Southern lands, and, even more important, over the Strait of Magellan that was the only reasonable seaway between the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean until the Panama Canal was opened in 1914.

Today, the rebuild wooded fort and a hand full of cannons overlook the Strait of Magellan from a beautiful peninsula.

Every day at 9:00 am, pick up at Hospedaje Magallanes in Punta Arenas. Travel time South is about one hour. For most of the time, the road follows the coastline of the Strait of Magellan. Visit Port Famine & Fort Bulnes. Return to Punta Arenas at about 2 pm

Tour Includes

  • Transfer from/to Hospedaje Magallanes
  • English speaking tour guide

Additional Costs

  • Entrance fee CLP 10,000 per person
  • Optional tips to your tour guide and/ or your driver

Regular Departures

Our half-day tour to Fort Bulnes departs every day from September 01st through Apr 30 at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm 

Price for Regular Departures

CLP 30,000 per person (about USD 35 – p/p*)

+ Park entrance fee CLP 10,000 per person (about USD 11 – p/p*)

* Aug 29, 2023 exchange rate

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