Puerto Natales is an outpost town in Chile that is entry point to the Torres del Paine National Park. It is about 150 miles northwest of Punta Arenas and serves also as an entry point to the glaciers that kiss the water in this part of Patagonia (Grey, Serrano, Balmaceda, etc.).
A small southern town
It is a small town by our standards with less than 20,000 inhabitants. The area where the town is was first sighted by Europeans in the second half of the 1500s, by a Spaniard. The area was populated by quite a diverse combination of European nationalities (English, Welsh, Croats, Spanish, Greeks). The city of Puerto Natales itself was found in 1911, a relative newcomer.
However, I would venture say that it is impressively big given where it is in this planet! So far south, in such tough climate. And hard to reach being almost 3 hours away from Punta Arenas which, itself, is like four hours flying from Santiago. To continue by road up to the rest of Chile from Puerto Natales, one must cross over east to Argentina, then north, and then head back west into Chile. Hard to reach indeed! And you really want to avoid crossing the border to Argentina unless you like inefficiency and waste of time…
Two visits five years apart
I first visited this town of 18,500 inhabitants in December 2010, at the start of summer. I got to return in 2015 when I went hiking in Patagonia in February towards the end of summer and I was delighted to walk around town again, but with friends this time. I noticed some improvements like the main square across from the church and a little better tourism infrastructure.
Food in Puerto Natales is pretty good
I also got to go to two restaurants that I greatly enjoyed back in 2010: La Burbuja and La Picada de Carlitos. See pictures below for some images of what I got to eat!
Great day trips
There are a few neat things to pack into day trips from Puerto Natales beyond the obvious must-see Torres del Paine National Park. La Cueva del Milodon is impressive and the route there offers some beautiful landscapes. A boat tour to explore the fjord and see the nearby water-kissing glaciers is a phenomenal opportunity to explore deeper into the wilderness of Patagonia, much as it is a tourist trip.
Colorful town
As you can appreciate from the pictures below, the town is colorful. I assume that the darkness of the prolonged winter calls for bright colors. Much as you see if you visit towns in Scandinavia. While some of the construction is simple there are beautiful details around doors, windows and eaves. Walk around the town aimlessly, especially beyond the main streets. Pretty cool.
Two summer visits – how is winter?
Having visited twice in the summer season, I only see the town in the best weather. While it is hard to get down there in winter, it must look and feel very differently. I realize that the idea may be crazy but… I would enjoy experiencing this town in the middle of winter just to see what life in a southern town is. The town has definitely been spruced up in the five years between my visits, clearly an indication of the effect of rising interest in Patagonia and the influx of more tourists.
I leave you with images of this Patagonian town in Chile. Click on a photo to enlarge!
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