Punta Arenas Transportation – Taxi, Boat, Bus, & Airport Tips

Punta Arenas Transportation

Punta Arenas is the capital city of the Magallanes region of Chile. As a prime tourist destination, it’s well supported by a transportation network consisting of ships, buses, and airplanes.

Seeing the City by Boat

A great way to explore the areas surrounding Punta Arenas is onboard one of the small cruise ships that travel on the nearby waters. These ships will take you quite close to the glaciers and into the narrow fjords surrounding the area. While larger boats cannot navigate into these tiny stretches, the smaller ships can pass through. Most of the cruise ships carry zodiaks, small deployable boats that can easily travel in these areas.

Arriving in the city by Airplane

Punta Arenas has a small airport that connects the country to the wider world. Direct flights connect this airport to other parts of the country, where international flights can be booked from cities such as Santiago. Once you arrive in Puntas Arenas itself, you can take either taxis or buses from the airport into town. Taxis known as colectivos cost more than a bus, but will take you to different destinations along their routes.

Getting Around Town on the Buses

Buses cost less than colectivos and are a more affordable way of traveling around Punta Arenas. Visitors will notice that the destination for these buses is listed on their windshields. These buses connect people with nearby places in the city and to distant sites such as the Torres del Paine National Park.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about transportation in Punta Arenas.