Punta Arenas’ Costanera Trail, Punta Arenas, Chile

Serving as the primary gateway for cruising (or flying) to Antarctica, the city of Punta Arenas is expectedly blessed with a long waterfront promenade, which is known locally as the Costanera.

Suitable for walking or cycling, the Costanera walkway is also notable for its tremendous historical prominence, being located along the legendary Strait of Magellan.

As you spend your day exploring the promenade thoroughly, you will encounter various monuments, sculptures, artworks and murals that capture the essence of the history behind not only Punta Arenas and the Magallanes region, but also the world history as linked to the exploration of Antarctica.

This guide will walk you through the key sites which can be visited while you are exploring this destination. Hence, without any further ado…

Start your morning with a lovely stroll along the lush woodlands and lagoon of this park, dotted with full-scale prehistoric animal and dinosaur sculptures. If you are visiting during the winter, the lagoon freezes and effectively turns into a skating rink.

Abandoned at the end of the world is this little known shipwreck called Lord Lonsdale. This steel vessel with a three-masted frigate rig was originally built in the year of 1889 at the Bigger shipyard in Londonderry of Ireland with a registry of 1,889 tons. Unfortunately, it was subsequently wrecked as a result of a fire incident at Punta Arenas in the year of 1909. Today, only the bow with the bowsprit and a section of the keel remains. It is now considered a historical relic. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).