Cottages in Punta Arenas

At the edge of the world, colorful houses lean into fierce Patagonian winds as if sharing secrets about the explorers who once passed through. The Nao Victoria Museum lets you clamber aboard a faithful replica of Magellan's ship, complete with creaking timbers and salt-weathered ropes. Fort Bulnes offers dramatic clifftop views where you can almost hear the ghosts of early settlers. Museo Regional Magallanes occupies a mansion so opulent it seems transported from Europe by mistake. The real stars, however, are the penguins. Take a boat to Magdalena Island where thousands of the tuxedoed residents waddle about with charming indifference to human visitors. Their colony at Seno Otway provides a less crowded alternative for those willing to make the journey.