La Yegua Loca

With a choice of seating including the glass-sided dining room, interior terrace, and pergola overlooking the city, La Cocina de la Nonna restaurant celebrates Patagonian flavours with recipes passed down for generations. Favourites include sunda de centolla, catuto de quinoa with spider crab, and lamb garron. Inspired by the meaning of Yegua Loca, the Mad Mare Bar serves an array of unique drinks like the spicy mas gallo. The hotel also sells handicrafts made by local artisans and regionaly-produced gourmet products to take home with you.

Occupying the second and third floors of this historic house, the rooms at La Yegua Loca enjoy fantastic views over the city or, for the top prize, the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego archipelago. With names like The Blacksmith and The Shearing Shed, you can expect a style that incorporates unique nods to age-old Chilean trades including the likes of picket fence headboards and walls adorned with tools. In contrast, the facilities are perfectly modern, with super King-sized beds, central heating and speedy wifi.

Punta Arenas' main plaza is just a short walk away, the perfect starting point for a walkabout through the city, its famed buildings and museums - and there's a whole host of those, from the Martitime Museum to the natural history museum. For the best view of all, head up the Mirador Cerro de la Cruz, which gazes all the way across to Tierra del Fuego. You can also make the trip across the Strait of Magellan to see this expansive landscape for yourself.