Museo Nao Victoria (Carrack Victory Museum), Punta Arenas (must see)

The Carrack Victory Museum is an interesting attraction just outside Punta Arenas, perched along the iconic Strait of Magellan. This open-air, interactive museum invites visitors to step aboard full-scale replicas of four historically significant ships: Nao Victoria, the first ship to circumnavigate the globe under Ferdinand Magellan; James Caird, the heroic lifeboat used by Ernest Shackleton during his legendary 1916 Antarctic rescue mission; Ancud, the schooner that claimed the Strait of Magellan for Chile in 1843; and HMS Beagle, the British naval vessel that famously carried Charles Darwin. Each replica has been painstakingly constructed using traditional shipbuilding techniques, offering a hands-on glimpse into maritime history.

The museum allows guests to explore the vessels inside and out, experiencing firsthand how sailors lived, navigated, and endured voyages through uncharted waters. Life-size mannequins dressed in period attire, along with antique weapons, original-style navigation instruments, and historical documents, provide context and immersion. Whether you're climbing aboard the deck of the Nao Victoria or imagining the perilous journey across the Southern Ocean in the tiny James Caird, the exhibits transport you back in time and highlight the courage and ingenuity that shaped global exploration.

Founded in 2011 as a private initiative, the museum has received accolades both nationally and internationally for its dedication to preserving maritime heritage and Chilean identity. It serves as a tribute to explorers, seafarers, and settlers whose voyages forever changed the maps-and the fate-of the world.