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Why Puerto Natales?
Located beside the beautiful Seno de Ultimo Esperanza (Last Hope Sound), this quaint smallish town of about 20,000 residents offers clean air, wonderful views across the water and accessibility to one of the world’s greatest national parks, Torres del Paine. Puerto Natales is an easy town to navigate and a good place to wander around. For a rewarding stroll – especially bracing in high winds – take the road north along the Sound and watch black-necked swans quietly ducking into the water along the shores.
How to arrive?
A living, working town, which comes alive during the short summer season, Puerto Natales sees its share of action. People arrive both by road (from Argentina or Punta Arenas) and by boat (from Puerto Montt). It has its own domestic airport which now offers direct flights to/from Santiago making it easier than ever to visit this dramatic corner of southern Patagonia. Direct flights are offered with a range of airlines including LATAM and Sky Airlines, some stopover in Chile’s Lake District. Those wanting to include a visit to Argentine Patagonia can travel on the regular bus routes offered between Puerto Natales and el Calafate.
History
Puerto Natales was founded in 1911. By the 1970s it had become one of the area’s leading beef exporters. In 1913 the Sociedad Explotadora Tierra del Fuego established a large industrial complex at Puerto Bories just north of the town. Establishing itself as the prime processing centre for meat preservation, tanning and wool washing facilities it soon overtook Puerto Prat as the residential centre and shipping port for the area’s products (now only cold storage and the slaughterhouse remain).
Today, many of the town’s inhabitants work in mines in Rio Turbio just over the border in Argentina. Its recent growth is however largely due to its close proximity to Torres del Paine and the tourism it generates. Fishing and Livestock still feature strongly in the region’s economy.Â
Natalinos possess a legendary warmth and charm. This coupled with the town’s incredible location means visitors frequently stay longer than planned. Some never leave.
Stay a while
The town is home to a huge variety of hotels whether you are looking to sleep in a modern, contemporary waterside lodge or a cute, family-run hotel we can recommend the most suitable accommodation to suit your family or group.
Food
As Puerto Natales has grown and developed, so has its lineup of restaurants and it is now one of the best areas of Chile to experience some of the country’s iconic and famous dishes. Examples include the oven baked empanada, a magnificent symbol of Chile and an important element of many festivals and celebrations. It is also the expected appetiser at asados (where locally produced lamb is cooked over an open fire, an important cultural and social custom). Restaurants in Puerto Natales take advantage of Patagonia’s abundant natural environment and although traditionally the focus was on meat, seafood also features heavily on the menu. Local delicacies such as Centolla (king crab), scallops, mussels and other shellfish sit alongside the lamb, beef, pork and guanaco. The culinary scene in Puerto Natales is fast changing, no matter your palate and preference, we can recommend the most suitable restaurant in the city.
Fact
The colourful old steam train in the main square was once used to take workers to the the meat packing factory at Puerto Bories, 5 km north of town. In its heyday the plant was the biggest of its kind in Chile with capacity for 250,000 sheep. Bankrupted in the early 1990s, much of the plant was dismantled in 1993. Belatedly the plant was given National Monument status and has since been restored and repurposed as the upscale Hotel Singular Patagonia.
La Centolla, desired by all seafood lovers the King Crab is the emblem of the Magellanic region and more specifically of Puerto Natales, a town that each year awards a Gastronomic Cup to dishes containing its edible treasures.
Explore this beautiful town at the End of the World
We highly recommend including some time in Puerto Natales as part of your Patagonia tour. In addition to being the gateway to the emblematic Torres del Paine and its lesser known sister the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, it is a worthy base to while away a few days and connect with the people and culture of this captivating region.
In addition to helping with hotels and restaurants, our local office can help you choose from a myriad of exciting day tours, excursions and activities. These include boat trips to remote glaciers and wateride estancias, traditional gaucho asados, bike rides, kayaking, day hikes, horse riding, nature and archaeology tours and, to ease those tired muscles after a hike, a rejuvenating yoga class or massage.