On the road Patagonia cilena

Punta Arenas commands the Strait of Magellan at over 53 degrees south latitude — fierce wind and changeable sky included — asserting itself as the southernmost city in the world with more than one hundred thousand inhabitants. Founded in 1848 as a penal colony and supply port for ships passing towards the Pacific, it transformed into a flourishing commercial centre thanks to sheep farming and the maritime trade of the belle époque. The Plaza Muñoz Gamero, with its statue of Magellan at the centre, is the town's gathering point: tradition has it that touching the navigator's foot brings good luck to travellers. The Cementerio Municipal, with its cypress and marble tombs surrounded by twisted cypress trees, is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in South America. Punta Arenas is the embarkation point for cruises to Tierra del Fuego, the Beagle Channel and the Antarctic Peninsula. A few kilometres away lies the Magallanes Peninsula Biosphere Reserve, home to colonies of Magellanic penguins; the Reserva Nacional Magallanes hosts lenga and nothofagus forests with breathtaking views over the strait. The cuisine is robust and flavourful: cordero al asador, king crab and dishes from the Croatian tradition brought by the many Dalmatian immigrants. Punta Arenas welcomes visitors with the austere pride of those who inhabit the end of the world.

The route follows a road that crosses vast open landscapes of Patagonia, with spectacular views of mountains, steppes, and the region’s fjords. Along the way, you can admire the untouched beauty of nature and the grandeur of the landscapes stretching out to the horizon. Puerto Natales stands on the shores of the Seno Última Esperanza, one of the most evocative fjords in Chilean Patagonia, with snow-capped mountains and glaciers reflected in steel-coloured waters. A small town of around twenty thousand inhabitants in the Magallanes region, it is universally known as the gateway for exploring Torres del Paine National Park, the jewel of southern Patagonia. Its streets of colourful wood and corrugated iron conceal an authentic frontier atmosphere, where hikers from around the world prepare for some of the planet's most famous treks, including the W Circuit and the Full Circuit. The waterfront along the Seno Última Esperanza offers memorable sunsets, with the colours of the sky reflected in the silent waters of the fjord and the silhouettes of the Cuernos del Paine in the distance. In the town's restaurants and hosterías, visitors savour cordero patagónico — grilled Patagonian lamb — and centolla, the famous king crab of the southern channels, paired with characterful Chilean wines. Puerto Natales is also the departure point for cruises through the Patagonian fjords, an unforgettable experience among icebergs and cormorant colonies. The town is the beating heart of adventure tourism in Chilean Patagonia and, after every expedition, welcomes travellers back with a genuine warmth that speaks of the end of the world.

From Puerto Natales, you head west across the vast and remote region of Patagonia. Along the way, you can enjoy the untouched beauty of nature and the wide expanses of the Patagonian steppe. Upon arriving at Torres del Paine National Park, you are immersed in breathtaking landscapes of majestic mountains, glaciers, lakes, and valleys. Torres del Paine is Chile's most famous national park and one of the great natural landscapes on Earth: a territory of 181,000 hectares in southern Patagonia where pink granite towers, blue glaciers, lagoons of impossible colours and wind-swept grasslands compose landscapes of primordial beauty. The three towers that give the park its name — Paine Grande, Paine Chico and Paine Torre Sur — rise vertically for almost three thousand metres, and the view at dawn, when the rosy light tinges them gold, is considered one of the most moving in all of South America. The W Circuit trek is the classic five-day route that crosses the most scenic highlights: the Mirador Las Torres, the Valle del Francés with its avalanches of rock and ice, and Glaciar Grey, an immense field of blue ice flowing into the lake of the same name. The park is home to guanacos, condors, rheas, pumas and an extraordinary variety of wild birds. The waters of Lago Pehoé, an unreal shade of blue, reflect the Cuernos del Paine creating a natural tableau that appears in every photograph of Chile. For those who prefer not to hike the circuits, kayaking on glacial lakes, horse riding and cruises on Glaciar Grey offer equally memorable alternatives. Torres del Paine is a place to be experienced with respect and unhurried attention, allowing wild Patagonia to slowly get under the skin.

The route follows the main road that crosses the park and extends eastward through the Patagonian steppe. Once leaving Torres del Paine National Park, the journey continues through the vast and remote region of Patagonia until reaching Puerto Natales.