Fuerte Bulnes

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Chilean fort located by the Strait of Magellan, 62 km due South from Punta Arenas. Founded in 1843 over a rocky hill at Punta Santa Ana, under the commandment of President Manuel Bulnes Prieto.

The fort's construction was a consequence of the colonization policies in Southern Chile, Chiloé's intendant Domingo Espiñeira Riesco commanded building a schooner named after the President himself, whose name was changed to "Goleta Ancud" by Bulnes in order to reflect the origin of the ship. It sailed from Ancud on May 22nd 1843, under the orders of the Captain Juan Williams Rebolledo (changed to Chilean version Juan Guillermos, named which he used to signed all documents) and, arrived at Punta Santa Ana on September 21st 1843, about 2 km from Puerto del Hambre.

At this place the fort was built, using mainly wooden logs and dirt & grass 'bricks'. It established Chilean sovereignship over Strait of Magellan, only 24 hours before the le Phaèton, a frigate from a French expedition, arrived with the very same intentions.

Due to the harsh weather, it was not possible to gather a large and stable population, that's why Punta Arenas was founded in Sandy Point area in 1848, after 6 years of struggling with nature. Once people finished moving and settled down in Punta Arenas, the fort was left aside, even being lit by lieutenant Cambiazo.

Between 1941 and 1943 the fort was rebuilt, declared National Monument in 1968 and, nowadays it's being guarded by CONAF (National Forest Corporation).