Plaza Muñoz Gamero, Central square in Punta Arenas, Chile.
Plaza Muñoz Gamero is the main square in Punta Arenas, centered on a large bronze monument of navigator Ferdinand Magellan. Tall conifer trees surround the space while impressive 1800s mansions frame the perimeter, relics of the area's prosperous wool-trading era.
Originally called Plaza Esmeralda, the square was renamed in 1875 to honor governor Muñoz Gamero, who died in the Cambiaso Mutiny of 1851. The bronze Magellan monument was erected in 1920 and has anchored the city center since then.
The central monument depicts a Selk'nam figure, representing the indigenous people who lived in this region before European settlement. Visitors traditionally touch the navigator's foot, a practice that connects the colonial history with the original inhabitants of the land.
The square sits at the heart of Punta Arenas and serves as the main reference point for getting oriented in the city. Its surrounding streets and historic buildings make it easy to walk around and explore the area on foot.
The bronze Magellan monument sits on a raised pedestal accompanied by a local superstition: visitors rub the foot of the Selk'nam figure for good luck. This quirky gesture unexpectedly links tourists to the archaeological history of the southernmost regions.
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