Discovering the World Sans Valise: Patagonia (6) Punta Arenas and the Strait of Magellan with penguins

We first flew to Punta Arenas from Puerto Montt. The view of the mountains and glaciers from the airplane was outstanding. We arrived in Punta Arenas, a city located on the Strait of Magellan which connects the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean. From Punta Arenas, we went to Isla Magdalena to observe Magellanic penguins, then flew to Ushuaia (see previous post describing our visit to Ushuaia). Since the Antarctica cruise we opted for was leaving from Punta Arenas, we took a bus from Ushuaia back to Punta Arenas. The pictures shown in this post are a combination from both times we stayed in Punta Arenas.

View of Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina...wow!

Hair cut at Peluqueria Splendid.....Given the name of the salon, I knew that I was not taking a big chance and as expected, I was not disappointed at the end :))

Dinner at this restaurant

And now visit of the "Cementerio Municipal", #1 out of 82 "things to do in Punta Arenas" according to Trip Advisor :))

We heard from locals that it is not unusual to come to the cemetery to celebrate the birthday of a deceased loved one. They bring table, chairs and food...not as austere an atmosphere as the cemeteries in France. People also bicycle in the cemetery. It is a lively place where South Americans celebrate the life of their loved ones.

Stray dogs are in Punta Arenas insuring tourist safety and keeping them company.

One followed us during our visit of the cemetery.

Museum Nao Victoria

Who does not know Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who captained the first expedition across the Atlantic ocean to the Strait of Magellan and across the Pacific ocean. Magellan actually died in the Philippines in 1521 before the expedition was completed. Juan Sebastian Elcano captained the rest of the expedition back to Portugal.