Two national monuments make up Parque Historia Patagonia. Founded in 1584 by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, 'Ciudad del Rey don Felipe' was one of Spain's most inauspicious and short-lived South American outposts. Its inhabitants struggled against the elements and starved to death at what is now known as Puerto Hambre (Port Hunger).
In May 1843, Chilean president Manuel Bulnes sent the schooner Ancud, manned by Chilotes and captained by John Williams, a former English officer, to Magallanes to occupy this southern area, then only sparsely populated by indigenous peoples. Four months later on September 21, when the Ancud arrived at Puerto Hambre, Williams declared the area Chilean territory and began to establish camp on a hilltop, dubbed Fuerte Bulnes . The exposed site, lack of portable water, rocky soil and inferior pasture soon made his colony abandon the site and move northward to a more sheltered area, called Sandy Point by the settlers and Lacolet by the Tehuelche.
Trails, a visitors center and lookouts are currently under construction. A paved road runs 60km south from Punta Arenas to the restored wooden fort, where a fence of sharpened stakes surrounds the blockhouse, barracks and chapel. There isn't any scheduled public transportation but several tour companies make half-day excursions to Fuerte Bulnes and Puerto Hambre.
