Punta Arenas Travel Forum

i am planning on visiting argentina and Chile in June 2006. i want to travel down to ushuaia on the Argentinian side and then travel north again on the Chilean side. Ideally I want to travel from Punta Arenas to Puerto Montt by boat. However, my research is showing that there doesn't seem to be any scheduled boats sailing at that time of year. Is that really the case?
Are there trips that only sail at the last minute?
Is it safe enough to sail at that time of year?
Is it a bad idea to visit that part of Chile and Argentina in June?
Sorry, a lot of questions, but advise would be most appreciated.
Thanks very much.

Particularly in the deep south, it would be MUCH better to visit in summer (Jan - Feb).

i was flying actually from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas and then took a but to Puerto Natales, maybe u can do the opposite or something, the flight from Punta areans to Puerto Montt is beautiful if it's a sunny day, you see all the glaciers like Perito Moreno and so on

Check out Navimag Ferry Ship ( www.navimag.com )I think they operate year round out of Puerto Natales which is near Puerto Areanas. By ship the trip is 3 or 4 days. I have a friend who works on a boat in Chile he says the seas are very rough the and air very very cold that time of year. Make sure to take some sea sickness meds with you. He gets sick sometimes himself. i have been to Puerto Areanas in June, make sure to allow extra travel time for weather variations like traveling on ice covered roads. Have fun

well, it took 5 hours from punta areans to puerto natales by bus
make sure u have plenty of time :)

If you hire a car is less time from PA to PM. maybe 2 hour drive. if you arrange for a hotel in Puerto Natales you might be able to pay them to shuttle you.

not PM.. meant puerto natales (pn)

yes car can be a good option, but the road is pretty bad, i mean it is not paved for long traits, and you may incurr into having your wheels down.. we had with our bus..
and as u probably know, there is nada de nada on that route.. only a few houses every 20 km or so...
i'd go for the bus,, at least one isn't alone if something happens to the car en route..
anyways, it's a nice drive, i did it at sunset and with all those sheeps running every now and then it looked like another planet ;-)

The point is I think if you want to take the ferry you must go to Puerto Natales to do so. Navimag has a set schedule to Puerto Montt. although they may run a little late at times. The seas and weather can be rough going in June. Just make sure you take the right clothing, especially if you plan to take the ferry. (long johns, gloves, hat, etc...) If you don't mind the cold, June is a quiet time of year to visit, but many hotels, restaurants, and tourist agencies do close down during this time in Puerto Natales. However, enough is open to get you what you need. Puerto Montt has much milder weather than south but it still gets a damp cold. Just keep in mind, a visit to the tip of South America in June it's like visiting the notthern USA in December/ January or worse.
Back to getting to Puerto Natales, it not that big of deal to get there. I've been there in June and i've rented a car. the road is not a bad road. some of it is 4 lane some two lane. Renting a car may be a pain for a one way rental. My first choice of travel in your case would be to check the tour companies and hotels for a shuttle to Puerto Natales hoping I could avoid waiting for the bus' schedule. However bus travel is very inexpensive albeit a tad slower.

We have just returned from Patagonia and my advice would be to pack some seriously warm clothes. It was below freezing in Ushuaia- then there was the wind-chill factor....
Punta Arenas was also cold, as was Puerto Madryn.
We were on a cruise liner and were not allowed to moor in Ushuaia because of the severity of the winds. That may be why you're having trouble finding a ship at that time of year.
On the voyage after ours the ship had to face seas in excess of 10 meters high in that area.
You'll love it down there, it's divine. You just need to be prepared.