Our tender boats left the ship and arrived at the terminal. There, all items were screened carefully (similar to airport security) before entrance was allowed to Chile. Even though the cruise line warns passengers not to take food off the ship, people still try to get away with it. There was a posted fine for bringing prohibited items into the country. I saw a pile of confiscated fruit on top of the scanners. I never saw the offense, so I don’t know if they enforced the fine or not.
Punta Arenas gets very little rain every year, but this did not stop the vendors. If a cruise ship is in port, they set up their booths.
We happened upon this plaza in the center of town. There stands an impressive monument of Magellan.
Souvenir shopping was great in Punta Arenas. I purchased several homemade items from vendors and in some of the shops. There were beautiful items made from lapis.
I purchased Lamb and Penguin puppets for the grandkids, and alpaca and lambswool scarves for family and friends.
We walked around the city and looked in several stores.
Our ship was in port from 7AM to 7PM, but the weather was so cold and wet that we didn’t want to be out in it for too long.
If I ever return to Punta Arenas:
I would like to take a city tour with a local guide and spend more time browsing in the shops and eating at a local restaurant. Since they get so little rain usually, it would likely be dry enough to make the day wonderful.
Next Port: Puerto Montt, Chile