Punta Arenas is the southernmost city of any size on the continent, with about 117,000 people on the western shore of the Strait of Magellan, and it has the feel of a place that grew rich a long time ago and has been quietly proud ever since. It was founded in 1848 as a penal and military outpost, then boomed at the end of the nineteenth century when sheep farming, wool exports and the traffic of ships rounding the Horn made fortunes. The mansions of the wool barons still stand around the main square, some now museums, and the cemetery, with its clipped cypress avenues and monuments to immigrants from across Europe, is one of the most beautiful in South America.
For a rider, it is the last big city and the place to stock up. Fuel stations, supermarkets, motorbike workshops, hotels, restaurants and even a few good coffee shops are all within easy reach, and prices are fair. Take the opportunity to fill the tank, check the tyres and buy whatever you need for the long, empty roads to the north and east. Seafood is the local speciality, particularly king crab and sea urchin, and lamb roasted over an open fire is a Patagonian classic. Eat something warm, because the wind off the strait is cold even in summer.
The wind is, in fact, the main character. It blows from the west for most of the year, and the trees along the shore grow bent and flagged in the same direction. Gusts can reach gale force with little warning, so keep a firm grip and be especially careful on exposed sections, bridges and when passing trucks. The best months are December to February, with the longest days and mildest weather, though rain and cold can come at any time. In winter, snow and ice make riding slow and difficult.
Strolling the waterfront is a good way to feel the city. The statue of Magellan in the main square has a worn bronze toe, polished by the hands of travellers who believe that touching it guarantees a return. From the harbour, you can watch ships and small boats heading for the channels of Tierra del Fuego, and sometimes see a cormorant colony on the pier. A ferry leaves for Porvenir across the strait, and the road to the north follows the shore through empty steppe. It is a good city to arrive in and an easy one to leave.