Punta Arenas is located in [wiki=216fdae038df522a446690107bc8334e]Extreme South[/wiki] of [wiki=2e6507f70a9cc26fb50f5fd82a83c7ef]Chile[/wiki]. Its history and economic growth is based on maritime commerce, oil extraction, and sheep breeding.


Punta Arenas (literally in Spanish: "Sands Point" although real English speakers might know this as "Sandy Point") is the largest settlement on the Strait of Magellan and the capital of Chile's Magallanes y Antártica Region. Founded on december 18th 1848, after the failed attempt of stablish a settlement in Fuerte Bulnes (Fort Bulnes), founded by John Williams, due to the lack of natural resources and local weather. It has a population of around 130,000 (2012).


The city has all kind of facilities, in particular an abundance of banks, shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, hiking gear shops, a mall and a duty free zone called "Zona Franca".


Don't trust the weather forecast, you can get a hail storm in plain summer. Usually you can get rain, wind, and sun all within the same day. If it's winter, then snow is always expected to fall. However watch for your skin, even if its cloudy, since this geographical area is usually under the hole of ozone layer.

It is on Brunswick Peninsula, 1418 km from the coast of Antarctica.