Windy Punta Arenas

There’s wind, and then there’s WIND!

In Patagonia, one of the strongest winds is called El Pampero, and it’s a big deal.

In 2019, we learned a lot about El Pampero when visiting Punta Arenas. I’m sharing some photos from that visit here, because this time around, it was too windy for us to stop there.

In 2019, we noticed handrails all over Punta Arenas. Our guide explained that these are for safety. He said people sometimes get stuck while walking in high winds. They hang onto the rails until they can be rescued!

As we exited the ship, there was a tunnel to shield us from wind followed by a handrail for support.

As for the photo of the shoeshine man, I simply thought it was cute that the local newspaper is called “El Pinguino.”Read more