Puerto Natales is a
city in
Chilean Patagonia. It is the
capital of both the
commune of
Natales and the
province of
Última Esperanza, one of the four provinces that make up the
Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region in the southernmost part of Chile. Puerto Natales is the only city in the province it is located lying northwest of
Punta Arenas. It is the final passenger port of call for the
Navimag ferry sailing from
Puerto Montt into the
Señoret Channel as well as the primary transit point for travellers to
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. It is located at the opening of
Última Esperanza Sound and was originally inhabited by the Kawésqar or
Alacaluf people and the Aoniken or
Tehuelche people. The first European to discover the area where the city is located was
Juan Ladrillero, a Spanish explorer who was looking for the
Strait of Magellan's western passage in 1557. Almost losing his religion, when he finds a narrow passage (what nowadays is known as
Señoret Channel) continues sailing across what he thought was the Strait. Unfortunately, he discovers it is an inlet he named as
Seno de Última Esperanza, translated as
Last Hope Sound. The city was later settled by European immigrants, primarily
Germans,
British, including
English,
Welsh and
Scots,
Croats,
Greeks,
Italians and
Spaniards. It was then settled by
Chilean people, with a substantial number coming from the island of
Chiloé, all attracted by the sheep breeding industry. The city was formally founded under the government of
Ramón Barros Luco on May 31, 1911. Nowadays, one of its most important industries is
tourism although the cattle and aquaculture industries are also significant.