Chile Guide
Southern Patagonia
Puerto Natales
Chilean Patagonia's second city, PUERTO NATALES (just under 250km north of Punta Arenas), enjoys a stunning location at the edge of the pampa, sitting by a body of water fringed by tall peaks. There's not much in the town itself except tour operators, restaurants and accommodation, but it's a useful base for visiting the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, the nearby Cueva del Milodón, the glaciers of the Parque Nacional Bernardo O'Higgins, and, across the border in Argentina, the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. Consequently, the town is flush with tourist dollars and filled with nylon-clad, Gore-tex-booted hikers. Natales (as it is generally called) is also a good transport hub, home to the terminal of the Navimag ferry from Puerto Montt in the Lake District, and linked to Punta Arenas by a regular bus service. Daily buses head up to Torres del Paine, and you'll also find regular services to Argentina and frequent tourist boats to the glaciers.