Punta Arenas Cruise Port

Punta Arenas, Chile

Punta Arenas is the capital of Chile’s southernmost region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena and that name should give you a hint of what you are in for when visiting the city.

Most ships visiting the port are either cruising around the tip of the South American continent or are calling in their before or after visiting the southern continent of Antarctica and whilst that means cruisers will get to see some of the most spectacular scenery found on earth, they will not be disappointing when they go to Punta Arenas.

Thanks to the Strait of Magellan, cruise ships can visit the port from both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and as well as calling into the port itself, visitors also get to sail through the Chilean fjords for an incredible experience that we personally got to experience back in 2025 and this guide is based on that experience of visiting the port.

Cruises To Punta Arenas

Our Visit

I was lucky enough to visit the port in December 2025, onboard the Sapphire Princess, on a round-trip cruse from Buenos Aires that was heading down to Antarctica.

I love penguins and the chance to see them in the wild was one of the big draws for me personally to cruise around South America.

For my itinerary, Punta Arenas was the first port of call, so I had to head off to see some so my day ashore started by tendering to the cruise dock and then jumping on a boat to head over to Magdalena Island- a nature reserve where for my time there, 1000’s of penguins were using it as a rookery.

It was incredible to see so many penguins in one place and to see so many babies and it made for an incredible start to my time in the city.

Once back on the mainland, me and my wife would simply set off walking to the cities main square, where there are a couple of gift shops and for my visit, there was a small market.

Around the square are some of the city’s most historic buildings, so we would walk around them before heading to the cities rambla style road that take you down to the seafront.

The seafront promenade is a great place to walk and not only take in the views but also take in the numerous works of art that sit there including a sculpture peace dedicated to the memory of the disastrous Shackleton expedition.

Punta Arenas Cruise Guide

If you are trying to decide whether a cruise itinerary visiting Punta Arena is one you should book, or if you have already booked a cruise calling into Punta Arenas and want to make the most of your time on shore, this is the guide for you.

Type of Cruises Available

You can board small expedition ships in Punta Arenas, with a choice of round-trip itineraries and repositioning routes offered from there, heading either around Patagonia or more likely setting sail for Antarctica.

For those on larger, mainstream ships, the port is only a port of call with only the smallest cruise ships able to dock there, the rest will need to drop anchor and tender passengers ashore.

Punta Arenas Cruise Port Location

Known as Muelle Prat, the cruise port is located just to the south-west of the city centre of Punta Arenas but within easy walking distance.

It is just at the end of the main promenade walkway along the seafront of the city, both of which makes it easy to set off and explore on your own, as soon as you get off of the tender and through the port gate.

Punta Arenas Cruise Facilities

Punta Arenas does offer some turnaround facilites for expedition ships who use the port to board passengers before setting off down to Antarctica but for the majority of those visiting their onboard mainstream ships, you will need to tender from your ship to a large dock and exit the port through the terminal building after going through security.

Punta Arenas Attractions

Punta Arenas isn’t a tourist destination in the main but that adds to the port as you get an authentic Chilean experience.

It does mean that you aren’t going to get any huge tourist attractions, but again that is part of the charm of visiting the city.

The cities main square, Plaza de Armas Munoz Gamero, is the hub of the city and is where most people will head for.

It is home to a park, municipal buildings and some of the most historic buildings in the city and it is here where the cities only gift shops can be found.

The Avenue Cristobel Colon is a ramblas style street with a tree-lined walkway down the centre of it that links the city centre with the waterfront.

On the edge of the centre is the city’s historic cemetery, the Cementerio Municipal Sara Braun, which is home to many mausoleums and is famed for its well-kept gardens.

The cities waterfront is a promenade style walkway that features a number of different monuments, statues, plazas and pieces of art including a large fountain, a monument to Captain Pardo and a monument to Shackleton.

Punta Arenas Shorex

The main shore excursion in Punta Arenas is to head over to Magdalene Island, as I did, where you can walk around a penguin rookery.

Other excursions take you out into the surrounding countryside including trip to the waterfalls of Torres del Paine.

Whilst the city is a walkable one, another option is to head out on a tour of the city, which will take you to all of the key attractions, up to a viewing platform and to the cemetery.

There are numerous other nature reserves on the edges of the city which allow you to see a range of seals, sea lions and different penguin species.

There are a few different wildlife watching boat rides that head out into the Strait of Magellan and get you close to whales, penguins, seals and sea lions.

Best Time To Visit Punta Arenas

The cruise season is a short one in southern Chile, where cruse ships only visit during the Chilean summer months between October-April, with the bulk of ships visiting between November-March.

Transport

The cruise dock is just a short walk from the city centre which makes walking the best way to explore but if you have mobility issues or the weather is poor for your visit, you only real options are to flag down a taxi or to book on a city tour excursion.

Punta Arenas Cruises From UK

Aside from World Cruises, there are no cruises between the UK and the port due to the distances involved.

Punta Arenas Cruises From Southampton

If that type of cruise is for you, it will be from either the port of Southampton or the port of Dover that the adventure starts.