What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Punta Arenas, Chile.
Photo: Jan Zakelj / Pexels
Punta Arenas is a coastal city of about 123,403 people in Chile, on the Strait of Magellan. Most sights are in the walkable centre: Plaza Muñoz Gamero, the Sara Braun cemetery, the Museo Regional de Magallanes and the Museo Salesiano. The Costanera del Estrecho is good for a waterfront walk. Tours to the penguins at Isla Magdalena and Seno Otway start here. The best months to visit are January and February.
Plan for a few days. The city centre sights take 30 minutes to 2 hours each, so you can see them in a day. Then add half a day each for Isla Magdalena, Seno Otway and Reserva Nacional Magallanes.
City centre
The main square, lined with trees and grand old mansions from the city's wool-trading days. At its centre stands the Magellan monument. Local legend says touching the toe of the Indigenous figure at its base means you will return to Punta Arenas.
Strait of Magellan
A small island in the Strait of Magellan that is home to a large colony of Magellanic penguins. Boat tours leave from Punta Arenas, and a marked path lets you walk among the burrows. Tours run only in the warmer months, and rough seas can cancel sailings.
City centre
One of the most striking cemeteries in South America, with neatly clipped cypress avenues and large marble mausoleums of the pioneer families. Graves of European immigrants and a memorial to the Indigenous Selk'nam people tell the story of the region.
City centre
A mansion built for one of the wealthy families who made fortunes from sheep farming and trade. The rooms keep their original furniture and decoration, and the exhibits cover the history of settlement in Magallanes.
City centre
A large, old-fashioned museum run by the Salesian order. It covers the Indigenous peoples of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, local wildlife and the history of exploration. It is a good introduction before heading further south.
City centre
A viewpoint a short uphill walk from the main square. It looks over the colourful rooftops of the city to the Strait of Magellan, and on clear days to Tierra del Fuego.
Waterfront
The seafront promenade along the Strait of Magellan, good for a walk and for watching seabirds. Look for the old wooden pier ruins and the sculptures along the way. Wind here is often strong, so bring a warm, windproof layer.
Otway Sound, north of the city
A mainland Magellanic penguin colony reached by road, with boardwalks and hides for watching the birds. It is an option when boats to Isla Magdalena are not running. The colony is only occupied in the warmer months.
West of the city
A forest reserve in the hills just outside Punta Arenas, with walking trails through southern beech woods. Viewpoints look back over the city and the strait. In winter the area gets snow and is used for skiing.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Sea temp | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best month: January | 13°C / 8°C | 17 days (61 mm) | 10.8 h/day | 10°C | 4.7/10 |
| Best month: February | 14°C / 8°C | 15 days (65 mm) | 8.9 h/day | 10°C | 4.9/10 |
| March | 12°C / 6°C | 18 days (81 mm) | 7.5 h/day | 9°C | 3.7/10 |
| April | 9°C / 4°C | 15 days (82 mm) | 6.1 h/day | 8°C | 2.1/10 |
| May | 7°C / 3°C | 13 days (63 mm) | 4.7 h/day | 7°C | 1.7/10 |
| June | 5°C / 1°C | 14 days (59 mm) | 3.9 h/day | 6°C | 1.2/10 |
| July | 4°C / 0°C | 13 days (64 mm) | 4.3 h/day | 6°C | 1.4/10 |
| August | 5°C / 1°C | 15 days (64 mm) | 5.8 h/day | 5°C | 1.5/10 |
| September | 7°C / 2°C | 11 days (44 mm) | 7.6 h/day | 6°C | 2.6/10 |
| October | 9°C / 4°C | 14 days (55 mm) | 9.2 h/day | 6°C | 2.6/10 |
| November | 11°C / 5°C | 15 days (70 mm) | 10.7 h/day | 7°C | 3.6/10 |
| December | 12°C / 7°C | 18 days (69 mm) | 11.1 h/day | 9°C | 4.2/10 |
Highs of 13.4°C and about 17 rain days. One of the better months, rated ok, with 10.8 hours of sun a day.
The warmest month, with highs of 13.7°C and 15 rain days, the fewest of summer. It has the best score of the year and is rated ok.
Highs drop to 11.6°C, with rain on 17.5 days and 81 mm in total. The score falls below ok as autumn cools and sun drops to 7.5 hours.
Cool and wet: highs of 9°C, 14.8 rain days and 82 mm, the wettest month. The score is low as days turn short and grey.
Highs of 6.8°C, lows of 3°C and 12.5 rain days. With only 4.7 hours of sun a day, the score is low. Expect cold, dim days.
The lowest score of the year. Highs of 4.5°C, lows near 1°C, 13.8 rain days and just 3.9 hours of sun make for cold, dark winter days.
The coldest month, with highs of 4°C and lows of 0.4°C over 13.3 rain days. The score is low, but it suits travellers who like quiet winter conditions.
Still winter: highs of 5.1°C, 14.6 rain days and a sea at 5.2°C. Sun rises to 5.8 hours a day, but the score stays low.
Highs of 6.9°C and the fewest rain days of the year, 11.4, with only 44 mm. It is still chilly, so the score stays low.
Highs reach 9°C and sun climbs to 9.2 hours a day, but 14.4 rain days and cool air keep the score low.
Spring brings highs of 11.1°C and 10.7 hours of sun. Rain on 15.3 days and 70 mm in total keep the score just below ok.
Highs of 12.4°C and 11.1 hours of sun, the most of the year, but also the most rain days at 17.9. Rated ok.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Chile →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, walkers, tour departures
The grid of streets around Plaza Muñoz Gamero holds most restaurants, cafés, tour agencies and museums, so you can do nearly everything on foot. It is the easiest base for booking trips to penguin colonies or Torres del Paine. Many shops close on Sundays, and some streets feel quiet and empty after dark.
Good for sea views, couples, runners
This waterfront strip runs along the Strait of Magellan, with a long promenade and wide views over the water. It is a short walk from the centre and good for sunrise and sunset walks. It is very exposed, so the strong Patagonian wind can make walking here cold and tiring.
Good for views, photographers, quiet stays
This residential hill just above the centre has a viewpoint with some of the best views over the city's colourful roofs and the strait. It is calmer than the flat streets below and still close to the main square. The streets are steep, which is hard work with luggage or in icy winter conditions.
Good for drivers, shoppers, road trips
The duty-free zone in the north of the city is built around a large shopping area and wide roads. It suits travellers with a car who want easy access to the road north towards Puerto Natales. It is a commercial area far from the centre's restaurants and sights, so you will need a car or taxi most of the time.
Large king crab caught in the cold southern waters around Punta Arenas. Locals eat it simply boiled or in salads, often at seafood restaurants near the waterfront.
A thick, baked king crab stew made with bread, milk and cheese, served hot in a clay bowl. It is a popular warming dish on cold, windy days.
Patagonian lamb cooked slowly on a metal cross beside an open fire. Families serve it at asados, farm visits and celebrations across the Magallanes region.
A small dark-blue berry from a thorny Patagonian bush. Locals use it in jams, ice cream and calafate sour, and a local saying claims that whoever eats it will return.
Sea urchins from the southern coast, usually eaten raw with lemon, onion and coriander. You find them at seafood restaurants and markets in the city.
Best: Apr, May, Oct, Nov
Best: Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec
Best: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov
February and January are the best months to visit Punta Arenas. They are the warmest months, with average highs of 13.7°C in February and 13.4°C in January. January also gets about 10.8 hours of sunshine a day. December is also a good choice, with highs of 12.4°C and 11.1 sunshine hours. However, December has the most rain days of the year at 17.9.
July in Punta Arenas is cold and gets little sun, so it suits travellers who are happy with winter conditions. The average high is 4°C and the low is 0.4°C. There are only 4.3 hours of sunshine a day, and rain falls on about 13.3 days. June is just as dim, with 3.9 sunshine hours and a high of 4.5°C.
Rain is frequent in Punta Arenas, but the monthly totals are fairly small. The number of rain days ranges from 11.4 in September to 17.9 in December. Monthly rainfall ranges from 44 mm in September to 82 mm in April. Expect showers in any month and pack a waterproof layer.
The sea at Punta Arenas is very cold all year. Even in January and February, the warmest months for the water, the sea temperature is only about 9.8°C. In August it drops to 5.2°C. Most visitors enjoy the Strait of Magellan from the shore, for example on a walk along the Costanera del Estrecho.
Plan 1 full day for the city centre, then add half a day for each trip out of town. In the centre, the main museums and the Cementerio Municipal Sara Braun each take 1–2 hours. Plaza Muñoz Gamero takes 30 minutes–1 hour. Isla Magdalena, the Seno Otway Penguin Colony and Reserva Nacional Magallanes each need half a day.
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