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The city of Puerto Natales exists within the larger Natales commune, one of eleven communes in the Magallanes Region. Since the entire province of Última Esperanza (56,554 km 2 (21,836 sq mi)) is divided into only two communes, the result is a rather large but sparsely populated area for the Natales commune.
Within this province, the noted Torres del Paine National Park, Cerro Torre and Cerro Chaltén is located, comprising some of the most spectacular mountain peaks of South America. Also part of the biggest non-polar glacier , the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is within Última Esperanza.
The commune's area spans 48,974.2 km 2 (18,909 sq mi), [3] making it one of the largest communes in Chile, after only Antártica (which is, however, 25 times Natales' size), and larger than eleven of the country's 16 political regions. The Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument lies 24 km (15 mi) northwest of Puerto Natales.
It is only accessible by boat or helicopter. The glaciers located at the head of Última Esperanza Sound and the glacier Pío XI are the most visited areas of the park. The main gateways for visitors to the park are Puerto Natales, Villa O'Higgins, Caleta Tortel and Puerto Edén. Sea kayaking is a popular activity in the park.
The park is located 112 km (70 mi) north of Puerto Natales and 312 km (194 mi) north of Punta Arenas. The park borders Bernardo O'Higgins National Park to the west and the Los Glaciares National Park to the north in Argentine territory. Paine means "blue" in the native Tehuelche (Aonikenk) language and is pronounced PIE-neh. [4]
Located on the Brunswick Peninsula, Punta Arenas is among the largest cities in Patagonia. In 2012, it had a population of 127,454. [ 7 ] It is roughly 1,419 km (882 mi) from the coast of Antarctica and 635 km (395 mi) from Ushuaia , the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra Del Fuego .
The airport is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north-northwest of Puerto Natales, which is on the Admiral Montt Gulf , a long fjord that reaches inland close to the border with Argentina. The airport is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the border. The Puerto Natales VOR-DME (Ident: PNT) is located 4.9 nautical miles (9.1 km) southeast of the airport. [4]
Last Hope Sound along with the Señoret Channel forms a navigation route, which connects Puerto Natales with several protected areas of the region. In the vicinity of the Eberhard Fjord is located Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument , where remains have been recovered of the extinct ground sloth along with a settlement of prehistoric humans.