In town for the day on a cruise ship and arranged for a taxi to take us around for a couple of hours. Definitely drop by this square and they say if you kiss the toe you will return to punta arenas.
Memorial itself is ok but the surrounding area - small park surrounding it and shops selling local handicrafts, artifacts and the plaza is nice. We had gone there on a Sunday and were lucky to see a beautiful parade (couldn't figure out with our English what were they celeberating).
Ferdinand Magellan stands proud and tall on this monument at Plaza Muñoz Gamero. Ferdinand Magellan is the Portuguese explorer that discovered Chile. This is a well designed monument. The legened says touching the foot of the statue will bring people luck. And kiss the toe will guarantee you come back to Puerta Arenas. At the plaza has lots of vendors selling sweaters. scarfs, hats, crafts and souvenirs. Also there is an information center there to service you.Happy Travelling!
The beautiful monument at the entrance of the city is hard to miss and a must see before you leave Punta Arenas. Another memorial to Magellan which seems to be missed quite a bit by tourists and even some locals, is the Nao Victoria which is a life-size replica of Magellan's ship. It cost 3000.00 pesos to visit and actually get on the ship and see how it was like for Magellan and his crew to travel across the ocean. The ship is fully furnished as it would have been at that time, with its kitchen, dry meats, tables, desks, hammocks, and of course, Magellan's own bedroom.It's worth a visit, it really is something you'll never forget!
The statue is in the town square right next to the hotel. We were there for a folklore display and to shop the sweater vendors. Very windy.
In the middle of the central plaza. There is an indian statue with a hanging leg that can be easily reached. It is kissed and touched by lots of tourist, therefore it has been polished by such caresses and shines. Reminds me of the statue of St, Peter Cathedral in Rome when one of the feet receives the same treatment.
everyone is rubbing their hands on the statues brass foot, apparently you will return again. Surely must by 99.9999% untrue, unless you are the airport bus driver. anyhow, the square looks boring, but when you get inside the trees its not too bad. little stalls with souvenirs and stuff.
Located in an unobtrusive park nestled between the Beautiful church and Palatial and Government buildings is this Memorial to the Explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Nice if you are there or in the area to visit the other sights or eateries.
This statue is the Big Deal Must-See while you are here, and it is indeed impressive from all four sides. Knowing a little bit about the symbology helps in your appreciation of it, too. Look it up. Supposedly if you kiss the big toe of the Indian (the Patagon) on the statue you'll come back to Punta Arenas. You can see how well polished that part of the statue is, but I try to skip all of these things, including Trevi Fountain, which probably started the whole craze, because I have other places to go. But if you are in town for even a little while, you want to stop here one time. It sits in the middle of Gamero Plaza.
At the base of this standing monument are maidens. By tradition if you rub one of these maidens toes by tradition you will return to Punta Arenas