DETAILS

FULL LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
This city sightseeing tour is designed to give you a clear understanding of the importance of this region of Patagonia by highlighting the very different destinies of the wealthy European immigrant families, and that of the Native Indians. This fascinating excursion commences with a ride up to the Club Andino by ski lift. The views from the top are sensational, with the vast expanses of Patagonia, the distant island of Tierra del Fuego, the Magellan Strait, Punta Arenas and the ship in port. A short drive away is the beautifully landscaped Municipal Cemetery. Here, one can admire the splendid mausoleums of pioneer families as well as a tomb dedicated to the Unknown Ona, the now extinct Fireland Indians. They say you can't really understand a culture until you see where they bury their dead, and in the case of the cemetery of Punta Arenas, this edict certainly rings true. The Municipal Cemetery was opened by the Governor Señoret in 1894 and features a giant stone portico donated by Sara Braun in 1919. Inside this necropolis lies a veritable miniature city, with avenues that connect the magnificent tombs of the region's founding families, settlers, and civic workers and a rather solemn tomb where lie the remains of the last Selk'nam Indians of Tierra del Fuego.

There will be a visit to two National Monuments that are testament to the staggering wealth produced by the region's large-scale, colonial-era sheep and cattle estancias; the Braun-Menendez Regional Museum and the Sara Braun Palace. The museums are the former residences of several members of the families Braun, Nogueira, and Menéndez, who believed that any place on Earth could be inhabited, no matter how isolated or far-flung, as long as it was possible “to live splendidly and remain in constant contact with the outside world."

The Museo Regional Braun Menéndez is the former residence of Mauricio Braun and Josefina Menéndez, a marriage that united the two largest fortunes in the Magellanic region. With the falling price of wool and the nationalization of estancias during the early 1970s, the families lost a large percentage of their holdings, and their descendants have relocated to places such as Buenos Aires. The Museo Menéndez has an interesting room devoted to the ranching and maritime history of the region. Now partially occupied by the Hotel José Nogueira, the Palacio Sara Braun is the former residence of Sara Braun, widow of the shipping, wool, and cattle magnate José Nogueira, who emigrated from Russia with her brother Mauricio Braun. The surprising mansion is a national monument, preserved in its original state. French architects planned the neoclassical exteriors, and European craftsmen were imported to craft marble fireplaces and hand-paint walls to resemble marble and leather. The interior fixtures and furniture were also imported from Europe, including gold and crystal chandeliers, tapestries from Belgium, Arabian tables inset with abalone, stained-glass cupolas, English and French furniture, and hand-carved desks.

Just across the street is the main square of Punta Arenas, the Plaza Muñoz Gamero. There will be fifteen minutes free to observe the monument to Magellan or perhaps shop for bargains at the informal handicrafts stalls. Following the visit, return to the pier.
 
SHORT LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
This city sightseeing tour highlights the very different destinies of the wealthy European immigrant families, and that of the Native Indians. A ski lift ride offers sensational views of vast Patagonian expanses, the distant island of Tierra del Fuego, the Magellan Strait, Punta Arenas and your ship in port. Other visits include the Municipal Cemetery, the Braun-Menendez Regional Museum and the Palacio Sara Braun, former residences recalling the colonial days of the region's large-scale, colonial-era sheep and cattle estancias.
 
TIMING BREAKDOWN
00:00 - 00:20 Drive from pier to Club Andino
00:20 - 00:50 Club Andino Includes ski lift ride
00:50 - 01:10 Drive to the Municipal Cemetery
01:10 - 01:35 Municipal Cemetery
01:35 - 01:45 Drive to the Braun-Menendez Regional Museum
01:45 - 02:15 Braun-Menendez Regional Museum
02:15 - 02:20 Drive to the Palacio Sara Braun
02:20 - 02:50 Visit to the Palacio Sara Braun
02:50 - 02:55 Walk to the Plaza Muñoz-Gamero
02:55 - 03:10 Plaza Muñoz-Gamero Free time for shopping
03:10 - 03:30 Return drive to the pier to rejoin ship

Approximate duration: 3½ hours (4 hours with snack at Club de la Unión)
 
OPERATIONAL NOTES
- NOTE: this excursion can operate with or without a pisco sour cocktail and king crab canapés served at the Club de la Unión
- If including the snack, Tour Duration is approximately 4 hours.
- Includes the services of an English-speaking guide
- Bottled mineral water included
- Museums are closed on Mondays
- Cable car does not operate on Mondays
- If wind conditions do not allow the use of the cable car, the observation point will be La Cruz Hill
- Activity level is Easy

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