Start your day with a wander around town, through the main plaza, and down to the waterfront. About an hour’s walk north is the historic town of Puerto Bories, which offers a glimpse into the area’s pioneer past with a preserved, century-old cold-storage plant and workers’ homes. For a different perspective, visit the Municipal History Museum (Museo Historico Municipal) to learn about life in the region prior to the Europeans’ arrival.

Pedal through colorful streets on a bicycle tour this afternoon. These tours typically visit the historic Braun and Blanchard Old Pier for views of the channel and snow-capped mountains just beyond, as well as the Ether Aike craft village to shop for artisan souvenirs.

You’ll have an early start in the morning, so tuck into an early seafood dinner at one of the restaurants clustered around the Plaza de Armas.

Journey into the stunning natural spectacle that is Torres del Paine National Park. One-day-tour options include traveling around the park’s Patagonian landscapes, studded with glaciers, lagoons, and snow-capped mountains, by coach or on a more challenging hiking excursion. Tours typically include lunch—in a restaurant for those traveling by coach, boxed for hikers.

If you have the time—and energy—after your epic excursion, take a casual stroll 10 minutes north of Puerto Natales’ town center to one of its more unusual, but photogenic, attractions: the Hand Monument (Monumento del Mano), a stone sculpture portraying the five fingers of an enormous human hand protruding from the ground.

Conclude your visit to Puerto Natales with a taste of its drinks scene at the Baguales microbrewery or the Last Hope gin and whiskey distillery. Both have on-site bars, so you can while away your evening trying some local products and making new friends.