Fuerte Bulnes

Fuerte Bulnes is a Chilean fort located 62 kilometers south of Punta Arenas, on the Magellan Strait. It was named for President Manuel Bulnes Prieto and was founded in 1843 on a rocky slope in Punta Santa Ana. Today, the fortress is said to be one of the most beautiful historical sites in Chile.

The fort was constructed to support the president's colonization policies in Southern Chile and to protect the Magellan Strait. He oversaw building in order to fend off claims from other countries. Domingo Espieira Riesco, Chiloé's intendant (governor), ordered the construction of a schooner to sail to that region. Bulnes had the ship renamed Goleta Ancud, after the town where it was built, after he commissioned it in the president's name.

On May 22, 1843, it sailed from Ancud under the leadership of Commander John Williams Wilson of the Chilean Navy. On September 21, 1843, he arrived at Punta Santa Ana, about 2 kilometers from Puerto del Hambre. He oversaw the construction of a fort here, which was mostly made of logs, soil, and grass 'bricks.'

The president planned to build a town, but the harsh weather made it impossible to recruit a substantial and steady population. As a result, the government established Punta Arenas in the Sandy Point area in 1848 after six years. Military personnel abandoned and demolished the fort once people had moved there. Lieutenant Cambiazo was in charge of the fire.

The government ordered the fort to be restored as a historic monument between 1941 and 1943. The church, chaplain's apartments, jail, powder magazine, post office, and stables are all included in the model. In 1968, it was designated as a national monument. It is now managed by a private corporation.

Location: Punta Arenas, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile