Punta Arenas: on the route of Ferdinand Magellan

Punta Arenas: on the route of Ferdinand Magellan

Punta Arenas overlooks the Strait of Magellan on the Ferdinand Magellan Route and is home to the most famous ships in shipping history

Located on the historic Ferdinand Magellan Route, the sprawling city of Punta Arenas is not easy to define. It is possible that the city itself is confused about its identity. Once a penal colony, today it is part roughneck, part modern metropolis, part maritime open-air museum.

The city's location overlooking the harsh and inhospitable Strait of Magellan - the main natural passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific - makes it essential to Chile's maritime trade and provides access to the Antarctic Peninsula.

alt=“Ferdinand Magellan Route – Punta Arenas”>Punta Arenas overlooks the Strait of Magellan (Image: © Ekaterina Pokrovsky | Dreamstime)

Whalers, Antarctic explorers and sheep farmers were once the backbone of the city, but today glitzy malls and casinos fill the suburbs and the galvanized tin roofs are replaced by hotels and restaurants that serve the growing cosmopolitan population.

Today, cruise passengers, hikers and backpackers heading to Tierra del Fuego have replaced the whalers, sailors and explorers of old.

Ferdinand Magellan route

The Strait of Magellan is named after Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer who organized the Spanish expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522, which led to the first circumnavigation of the globe. Magellan did not survive the entire journey, but he left behind a legendary legacy: the Ferdinand Magellan Route.

His name is scattered around the globe, gracing countless statues, monuments, bodies of water, islands, polar regions, astronomical observations, and even a breed of penguin. Punta Arenas itself was once called Magallanes.

alt=“Magellanic penguins in Punta Arenas”>The Magellanic penguin is named after the discoverer

The Spanish expedition sailed from Seville, Spain in 1519 under the command of Magellan across the Pacific Ocean in search of a sea route from the Americas to East Asia.

When Magellan sailed from the stormy passage of the strait into the Pacific Ocean, he named her Mar Pacifico, which means "peaceful sea" in both Portuguese and Spanish.

Five ships with 270 men left Seville under Magellan, but the circumnavigation was completed by only one ship, the Nao Victoria, then under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano and the surviving crew of only 18 men. Magellan was killed at the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines.

The survivors arrived in Spain in 1522, three years after sailing the fabled 37,560 miles (60,440 km) along what is now known as the Ferdinand Magellan Route.

alt=“Ferdinand Magellan Route – Map”>The Ferdinand Magellan Route lasted three years from 1519 to 1522

Museo Nao Victoria

Today, Punta Arenas is dotted with monuments to the epic expedition and the Ferdinand Magellan route. By far the best is the Museo Nao Victoria. The privately owned museum, which opened in 2011, houses a faithful replica of the first ship to complete the circumnavigation and lead the so-called Ferdinand Magellan route.

Arguably one of the most famous ships in maritime history, the Nao Victoria, along with her crew and commander, played a role in the discovery and naming of Patagonia, Cape Virgenes, the Strait of Magellan, Tierra del Fuego, and the Pacific Ocean, among others.

alt=“Punta Arenas – Nao Victoria”>A faithful replica of the Nao Victoria with a length of 27 m and a width of 7 m (Image: © Dmitry Chulov | Dreamstime)

The museum also houses the James Caird lifeboat the Endurance, which was adapted by Harry McNish and sailed from Elephant Island to South Georgia during Sir Ernest Shackleton's failed 1916 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

The feat, considered by many to be the most impressive of all global navigations, has gone down in history and is brilliantly recounted in Shackleton's personal account, South: The Endurance Expedition.

alt=“Ferdinand Magellan Route – James Caird”>The Endurance lifeboat James Caird sailed from Elephant Island to South Georgia

There are huge collections of historic and antique sailing instruments, documents and weapons, but perhaps the crowning exhibition will be the replica of the HMS Beagle, currently under construction.

The British Navy ship was converted into an exploration ship and commanded by Captain FitzRoy. On board was the young Charles Darwin. On this ship, Darwin began developing his theory of evolution and visited Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and of course the Galápagos Islands.

Punta Arenas: the essentials

What: Visit to Punta Arenas, Chile.

Where: We stayed at the simple, friendly and cozy Hostal Patagonia. The hostel is centrally located and within walking distance of the bus stop, shops, restaurants and the seafront promenade.

When: This part of the world is frugal with its good weather, so don't visit during the South American winter (June to September). The best time to visit is between November and April, but be warned: the weather in Patagonia is fickle all year round and can change in the blink of an eye, so be prepared for any eventuality.

How: The museum is located 7.5 km north of Punta Arenas, on route Y-565 to Rio Seco. There are public buses that run regularly from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. from Punta Arenas city center towards Rio Seca. Just tell the driver that you are going to the museum. Alternatively, taxis are a quicker and easier option, but more expensive.

Punta Arenas is well connected to the rest of Chile by plane. We recommend flying from Santiago to Punta Arenas with LAN. The best way to book tickets is via skyscanner.net. Minibuses and taxis are available at the airport to take you into the city or to your hotel.

From Punta Arenas, it's a three-hour bus ride north to Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine National Park. Buses leave regularly throughout the day and cost from around 5,000 CLP (£5/$8).

There are several bus companies to choose from. We used the Fernández and Bus Sur buses and can recommend them. There are bus services to other parts of Chile as well as to destinations in Argentina such as Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego and El Calefate to the Perito Moreno Glacier.

Lonely Planet Chile and Easter Island contains a comprehensive travel guide to the country, ideal for those who want to both explore the main attractions and take the road less traveled.

Additional photography: Dreamstime

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