The Punta Arenas tourist season runs from roughly mid-October to mid-April, with the high point in December, January and February. This is when the Magellanic penguins are on the islands, the ferries to Tierra del Fuego run frequently, the days are long (sunset around 10 p.m. in midsummer), and the Antarctic cruise ships use the city as a base.
Even in summer the weather is unsettled. A typical January day in Punta Arenas might run from 5°C with horizontal rain in the morning to 18°C with bright sun by mid-afternoon. The wind is the constant — it averages around 40 km/h in summer and can reach 100 km/h in a gust. Always layer up, always carry waterproofs.
Winter (May–September) is dark, cold and quiet. Days are short — only seven hours of daylight in June — and many tourist operations shut down entirely. It is, however, the only time you can see snow in the Reserva Nacional Magallanes and the only time the city feels properly itself, without cruise passengers.