Last Updated on October 22, 2024
Traveling slowly southward through Patagonia, we are making our way to the southernmost city in the world – Ushuaia, Argentina. This week we spent a few days in Puerto Natales, Chile, the closest town to Torres Del Paine National Park. The park is famous well beyond Chile’s borders for its ‘W Trek’, a 5-day hike that is considered one of the Top 10 hikes in the entire world. Since we posted quite… a few… photos… of Torres del Paine on Facebook already, we are dedicating the Polaroid of the Week to the wind (Jess is from the Windy City, after all).
This region of Patagonia is known for the notorious winds (check out this video!) that many hikers experience at some point during on the treks in the park, and these winds can easily reach 100km per hour. Luckily, the weather was unnaturally calm and sunny during our visit and we didn’t get blown away (some hikers apparently do get blown over!). During celebrations of the city’s 101st anniversary in 2012, two sculptures were erected on what is going to be Puerto Natales’ Plaza of the Wind. The sculptures, appropriately named ‘Amor al viento’ (Love of the Wind) are an homage to these winds: The bronze figures of a man and woman (both 2.5m tall) hang on 8m poles and supposedly even swing/sway a bit on the poles when the winds are in full force!
Shalu Sharma
Sunday 10th of March 2013
Quite an amazing piece of art. Are these bronze figures supposed to sway or were they fixed.
Dani
Monday 11th of March 2013
I think they are supposed to sway - it must look amazing in the wind! There was no wind at all though while we were in town, so it was hard to tell for us how it actually looks on a windy day :)
TammyOnTheMove
Sunday 10th of March 2013
The statue looks incredible. Love it!
Jess
Sunday 10th of March 2013
Chile has some of the most creative, cool sculptures and pieces of public art we've come across!
Ignacio Gundermann
Saturday 9th of March 2013
Just wanna say that the southernmost city of the world is actually Purto Williams, Chile and not Ushuaia.
Jess
Sunday 10th of March 2013
Hi Ignacio, thanks. It's an oft disputed point, between Ushuaia and Puerto Williams, but when comparing the populations of Ushuaia - over 110,000 and Puerto Williams, just under 2,000, we feel it's safe to safe that Ushuaia is the southern most 'city', while Puerto Williams can be the southernmost populated area, for example. Surprising how much emotion people feel about it either way though.
Steph | A Nerd At Large
Saturday 9th of March 2013
Wow, what a beautiful sculpture! I feel the exhilaration just looking at it!
Jess
Sunday 10th of March 2013
It looks great looking out at the water as the sun sets, too. Very cool little town, Puerto Natales.
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures
Saturday 9th of March 2013
OMG what an amazing statue!!!!! LOVE!
Jess
Sunday 10th of March 2013
Totally, Andy! Chile is more subtle than Argentina, particularly BA, but when we found the public art to be thoughtful and really striking throughout the country like this.