Puerto Natales

In Flight

Day 17: Sunday, January 20, 2002

Puerto Natales is in sight.

9:06 AM: The city position is 51º48'S 72º01'W.

Puerto Natales

We fly past the town several miles before we arrive at the airport.
These airports in Chilean Patagonia are not too near the towns they serve.

Puerto Natales, a small inland port, can only be reached by vessels of less than 150-meters in length. It is approached via an extremely narrow channel that can only be negotiated by larger vessels at slack time. The pleasant town is the gateway to three national parks, the most spectacular is the Torres del (Towers of) Paine National Park which is approximately two hours by road north of town.

Gateway to Torres del Paine National Park

This is a farming and ranching community on an inlet of Ultima Esperanza.

Our Chariot

Puerto Natales Airport

9:13 AM: Our little bird sits out of the picture on the left. The large plane used by some of our group is in the distance on the left. Some of the group used the other 9-passenger plane in the center of the picture.

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