Puerto Natales

Travel Guide

Puerto Natales featuring landscape views, a sunset and a lake or waterhole
Cueva del Milodon which includes a garden and caves
Puerto Natales
Cueva del Milodon showing outdoor art and caves
Puerto Natales showing landscape views and outdoor art

Breathtaking national parks, adventure sports and millennia-old caves welcome visitors to this town in the heart of the Patagonian wilderness.

Once a fishing village and a center for Chile’s 20th-century cattle-ranching industry, today Puerto Natales is the gateway to outdoor adventures in southern Patagonia. The town is on the east bank of the Señoret Channel and faces the snow-capped peaks of the Andes mountain range. Vacation in Puerto Natales to visit ancient caves, walk to scenic lookouts, kayak on vast lakes and tour the awe-inspiring landscapes of national parks.

The town’s colorful streets reflect a past of European immigrants and indigenous settlers from Chiloé Island. Start your visit at Plaza de Armas, the pretty central square home to an antique steam locomotive. Learn about the town’s colonial years and Patagonian tribes at the Museo Histórico Municpalidad Natales. Go to the waterfront, gaze across the channel’s icy waters toward Andean peaks and watch picturesque sunsets.

Enjoy a day hike to Mirador Cerro Dorotea, a lookout with uninterrupted views of the town, bay and surrounding glacial landscapes. Walk or bike north along the coastline and investigate the town’s meat-processing heritage at the Museo Histórico e Industrial Puerto Bories.

Just a 30-minute drive from the town is Cueva del Milodón, a series of huge caves and prehistoric relics. Discover the stories of the region’s earliest settlers and animals, such as the giant mylodon, a sloth that lived over 10,000 years ago.

Puerto Natales is a great starting point for two of Chile’s most famous national parks. Relive the travels of Charles Darwin as you sail past fjords to Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins. Catch a glimpse of the soaring Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. Marvel at the granite peaks and icebergs of Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, the setting for superb bird-watching, hiking and kayaking.

Reach Puerto Natales by flying to Punta Arenas and then renting a car or catching a public bus. Alternatively, take a fascinating multiday cruise from Puerto Montt. Stay at a cozy guesthouse, hotel or estancia, a traditional working farmstead set amid rural surroundings.

Best Western Patagonia

Best Western Patagonia

3.5 out of 5
Huerto 282 Lote 11 Ruta 9, Natales, Magallanes y Antartica Chilena
The price is P10,566 per night from Sep 16 to Sep 17
P10,566
P10,566 total
Sep 16 - Sep 17
Stay at this 3.5-star business-friendly hotel in Natales. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Popular attractions Mirador Cerro Dorotea and Cueva ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (37 reviews)
"Friendly staff, very clean and perfect for commuting to Torres del Paine!"

Reviewed on Apr 18, 2025

Best Western Patagonia
Noi Indigo Patagonia

Noi Indigo Patagonia

4 out of 5
Ladrilleros 105, Natales, Magallanes
The price is P7,273 per night from Aug 30 to Aug 31
P7,273
P7,273 total
Aug 30 - Aug 31
Stay at this 4-star family-friendly hotel in Natales. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and onsite spa services. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (180 reviews)
"Good location and clean, friendly staff easy parking"

Reviewed on May 27, 2025

Noi Indigo Patagonia
Hotel Costaustralis

Hotel Costaustralis

3.5 out of 5
Pedro Montt 262, Natales, Magallanes
The price is P7,355 per night from Aug 30 to Aug 31
P7,355
P7,355 total
Aug 30 - Aug 31
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in Natales. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular attractions ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (491 reviews)
"Great views of the water from every room."

Reviewed on Aug 14, 2025

Hotel Costaustralis
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Alto Balmaceda Apartamentos

Alto Balmaceda Apartamentos

3.5 out of 5
456 Manuel Balmaceda, Natales, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena
Stay at this 3.5-star apartment in Natales. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and rainfall showerheads. Popular attractions Plaza de Armas and History Museum are ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (51 reviews)
"It is a new property. There is construction still going on in adjacent units. The apartment was warm and cozy, perfect for winter. Hot water supply was very good. It is located a short walk from the main shopping street and the bus station. Everything we needed was within walking distance including ..."

Reviewed on Jun 14, 2025

Alto Balmaceda Apartamentos
Cabañas Julián Elias Patagónia

Cabañas Julián Elias Patagónia

3 out of 5
Ruta 9, Huerto 109 A1-C, Puerto Natales, Magallanes
Stay at this 3-star cabin in Natales. Enjoy free WiFi and free parking. Popular attractions Mirador Cerro Dorotea and Cueva del Milodon are located nearby.
Cabañas Julián Elias Patagónia
Trotamundos Patagonia

Trotamundos Patagonia

3.5 out of 5
847 Galvarino, Natales, Región de Magallanes
Stay at this 3.5-star aparthotel in Natales. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Popular attractions Lago Nordenskjold and Plaza de Armas are ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (51 reviews)
Good stay in Natales
"Comfortable and big apartment."

Reviewed on Jul 23, 2025

Trotamundos Patagonia
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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