On the outskirts of Punta Arenas it is possible to visit pleasant spots and beautiful inns with restaurants and tearooms. There also are picnic parks.


Among these places are Chabunco Park, Rio de los Ciervos and Cerro Mirador, winter sports seating.

FORT BULNES AND PUERTO DEL HAMBRE

Sixty kilometers south of Punta Arenas, in Punta Santa Ana, is Fuerte Bulnes.

It is a reconstruction of the historical fort in which Chile established the first Patagonian settlement and took possession of the Strait and the adjoining lands (1843).

Close to it is Puerto del Hambre, at the seashore of Bahia Buena. Here captain Sarmiento de Gamboa founded the city Rey Don Felipe, in March of 1584.


This attempt of Spanish settlement had a tragic end: its inhabitants died of starvation. Years later, British corsair Thomas Cavendish reached port here and rechristened the place as Port Famine, Puerto del Hambre in Spanish, name that still keeps.

ISLA MAGDALENA

This island, that has a lighthouse in its northeast point, is together with Marta small island, a natural reserve of penguins, cormorants, seals and other birds. Both islands make up conservation area "The Penguins", 25 nautical miles north of Punta Arenas.


The estimated penguins population is about 50,000 couples of Magellan specie.

RÍO VERDE

Main city of the commune of same name. It is located 87 kms. northeast of Punta Arenas on the banks of Skyring gulf. It is a little cattle town surrounded with natural beauties, outstanding Fitz Roy Channel, Otway Gulf and Rio Verde. Every year there is a rodeo competition.

There is a ferry that links Rio Verde with Riesco Island, located between Otway gulf and Skyring.

VILLA TEHUELCHES

Tehuelches villa is the main town of Laguna Blanca commune, located 100 kms. north of Punta Arenas. The village has facilities enough to satisfy the basic needs of its approx. 400 inhabitants and visitors. Tehuelches is a typical country village whose inhabitants work mostly on cattle activities.

HISTORICAL ROUND AT LAGUNA BLANCA

Leaving Punta Arenas through 9 North road, at kilometer 100 is Villa Tehuelches, main town of Laguna Blanca, a place mainly of cattle and forest nature, with natural attractions that invite the visitor. At Villa Tehuelches there is an ecumenical church, a library museum, a rodeo field and public services.

Nine kilometers further is the entrance to "Las Nieves", a place with variated landscapes that runs along the basin of Penitente river, rich with species that invite to sport fishing. Carrying on to the high sector, there are areas of native trees woods and moist pastures. At the end of the round there is a panoramic view of Pinto mountain chain.

Getting back to the road, at kilometer 113 is Laguna Blanca, where there are several estancias that belonged to the ancient Sociedad Ganadera de Laguna Blanca (cattle corporation). 18 kilometers to the south is the Canadon Cueva de la Leona (lioness cave gully), a natural conservation area that has cave paintings from the Aonikenk ethnic group that dates back to some 1,600 years.

At the left side of road, km.135 is the estancia Penitente River, where the visitor finds the beauty and the charm of a typical Magellan ranch, whose origin goes back to 1891.

Back to the route, at kilometer 145 is the natural conservation "Morro Chico", a promontory in whose hillsides there are cave paintings and a beautiful general view of exceptional attractive that shows the Patagonian steppe ands the Penitente river.

Laguna Blanca has several typical attractions in spring-summer season, like breaking in animals, the traditional Chilean rodeo and the Shearing festival, a feast with all the country works: shearing, movement of sheepdogs and other activities besides shows and typical gastronomy, every third weekend of January.