Hostels in Puerto Natales

About Puerto Natales

Far to the south on the hooked end of Chile is the port town turned outdoor capital Puerto Natales. Here you can hop between tin-roofed cottages and designer gear outlets, stopping off for a craft beer en route. While most visitors are heading straight for the majestic Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, you could always spend a few days wandering round the local sights at Patagonia pace (which means slow and easy). 

Puerto Natales hostels are in keeping with the pioneer character of downtown. Stay in a preserved historical house with a bar, a traditional corrugated-tin lodge or a timber-clad hostel complete with three resident dogs. You can also find a Puerto Natales hostel with beds made from recycled palettes and social areas built from sustainable materials. Free breakfast is standard and most hostels have a communal kitchen in addition to living space or an outdoor terrace. Free Wi-Fi is handy for planning your trip to the national park.

At the centre of Puerto Natales is the landscaped Plaza de Armas Arturo Prat (main square). Avenue Pedro Montt is a seafront walkway that's popular with locals out for a stroll in the evenings. At the south end is the boatyard where you can see the wooden boats being repaired and painted. A 15-minute drive north of the town centre is Puerto Bories. What was once a residential complex for wool processing workers is now home to a historic hotel restaurant and cafés free of crowds.

A popular sight in Puerto Natales is the huge sculpted fingers at Monumento de la Mano (Monument of the Hand), a 10-minute walk from town. Another nearby attraction is Cueva del Milodón, a cave where the skin and bones of an extinct giant sloth were discovered. Dive deeper into Chilean culture in the lesser-known Sierra Baguales mountain range. Here you can visit a working ranch and go horse riding. If you're heading into Torres del Paine National Park, the ice wall of Glacier Grey is particularly breathtaking.

Arriving in Puerto Natales on the 4-day Navimag ferry is a popular option for travellers. There's also a twice-weekly flight to Teniente Julio Gallardo Airport (a 15-minute drive north of town) from Santiago, the capital of Chile, during high season. The bus terminal, Rodoviario, is a 20-minute walk out of town and daily buses leave here for Torres del Paine National Park. If you're staying a few days you could hire a bike, although the centre is very walkable.