Fodor's Expert Review Fuerte Bulnes

In the middle of a Chilean winter in 1843, a frigate under the command of Captain Juan Williams Rebolledo sailed southward from the island of Chiloé carrying a ragtag contingent of 11 sailors and eight soldiers. Several months later, on a rocky promontory called Santa Ana overlooking the Strait of Magellan, they built a wooden fort, which they named Fuerte Bulnes, thereby founding the first Chilean settlement in the southern reaches of Patagonia. A replica of the fort, including a church, post office, and stable, was reconstructed on the site in 1944, and today it forms a key part of Parque del Estrecho de Magallanes, located 50 km (51 miles) south of Punta Arenas. The park has a state-of-the-art visitor center focused on the history of the Strait of Magellan, along with an elegant café and bookstore. There are also hiking trails with impressive views.