South Patagonia
From
the Campo
de Hielo Sur (the southern ice-cap) to the Chilean Antarctic Territory, this
is one of the most
spectacular areas of the planet. It comprises the twelfth administrative
region of Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic.
The cities of Punta Arenas (regional capital),
and Puerto Natales, offer all the necessary facilities to
explore this extraordinary region.
Among all the area's attractions, Torres del Paine National Park, is
undoubtedly one of the
most popular, and deservedly so, due to its incredible scenery and wealth of
activities. There are few places that contain so many diverse
attractions within such a small area; this park consistently exceeds expectations.
Torres del Paine is a land of lagoons, lakes, glaciers and
snowcaps, as well as a great variety of species endemic to Chile. Reaching
up from the massif are the Torres y Cuernos (towers
and horns) which give the park its name. They pose challenges for climbers
from all over the world.
Following the road to the north of Puerto Natales, the
landscape is overwhelming. It not only can lead us to Torres del Paine, but also, through
a short detour, to the Cueva del Milodon,
a Natural Monument, where remains of this extinct prehistoric animal
were found.
In Punta Arenas, on the hill that stands out above the city
and the Strait of Magellan, we can find the most southern ski center:
Cerro Mirador.
Crossing the Strait of
Magellan, Tierra
del Fuego is split between Chile and Argentina and is an island
dominated by its extreme climate. Porvenir, almost directly
opposite Punta Arenas, is the biggest and most important city on the island.
By crossing the Beagle
Channel,
you can get to the remote Puerto Williams, on Navarino Island,
which is a good
base for exploring its unique surroundings, and from where you can visit
the neighboring Argentinean city of Ushuaia.
The Cabo
de Hornos National Park,
the most southern and barren park in the country, is composed of a group
of ten islands, which are only possible to see by air. Ahead of Cabo
de Hornos across hundreds of kilometers of wild water, the Chilean
Antarctic Territory is
the last frontier of the national territory.
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