Puerto Natales – the once windy fishing village with its colorful tin houses in different stages of weathering has become the Mecca of the Goretex faction. Gateway to the Torres del Paine National Park and the last opportunity to book trekking tours, to buy hiking boots or a backpack or to organize a hearty tour around the houses – Puerto Natales has managed to get everything out of its special location. In the meantime, everything from the luxury hotel to the pizzeria and the outdoor shop to the car rental company has everything that could lead adventure-seekers to spend their money.
Just over a hundred years ago (1911), Puerto Natales was founded on the Ultima Esperanza Fjord. The fjord got its name from the sailor Juan Ladrillero, who saw in this estuary the last hope ( ultima esperanza ) to find a breakthrough from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific – his hope was frustrated …
Later, sheep farmers settled in the area, which founded the city of Puerto Natales in the early 20th century. In the immediate vicinity, there was a large facility in Puerto Bories for the slaughter and processing of sheep. There was work for everyone there. Today, the historic industrial complex houses a luxury hotel worth visiting.
There are no real attractions in Puerto Natales. Nice is a walk on the banks of the Canal Señoret, in which always a few black-tailed swans bob around who likes to visit the small museum of the city. What makes Puerto Natales attractive is its surroundings.
The Cueva de Milodont is just 25 km from the city center . In this cave of more than 200 m depth found in 1895 the German explorer Hermann Eberhard parts of an unknown animal, which was later identified as Mylodont; a herbivorous species that died out more than 10,000 years ago. Today, a resin replica of the Mylodont chases visitors on the back … The area around the cave is beautiful in every season!
If you have a rental car, the tour to Cueva de Milodont can do well on your own. The tour is also part of the standard tour operator program in Puerto Natales, which also offers tours to the Balmaceda Glacier, Perito Moreno in Argentina and the Torres del Paine National Park.
