Venue and practical information

Important: We recommend early booking of flights and accommodation!

Venue information

Puerto Natales, located in southern Chilean Patagonia, provides a unique and inspiring setting for scientific exchange. Surrounded by dramatic mountains, glaciers, fjords, and vast open landscapes, the city serves as the gateway to the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth.

Beyond its remarkable scenery, Puerto Natales offers a welcoming atmosphere and excellent tourism infrastructure. The region's pristine skies, remote landscapes, and sense of exploration provide a fitting backdrop for discussions on the earliest galaxies, the formation of supermassive black holes, and the frontiers of modern astronomy.

Participants will have the opportunity not only to engage with the latest scientific discoveries from JWST, ALMA, GRAVITY, and other cutting-edge observatories, but also to experience the extraordinary natural beauty of Patagonia. The combination of world-class science and an unforgettable environment makes Puerto Natales an ideal venue for fostering new collaborations, exchanging ideas, and exploring the future of high-redshift galaxy and black hole research.

The conference will take place at Salón Cormoran, located at Miguel Sanchez 72, Puerto Natales, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile.

Practical information

Flights:

• Direct flights to Puerto Natales: You can fly from Santiago de Chile to Puerto Natales. Airlines like LATAM, Sky Airline, and JetSmart operate on this route. While the number of direct flights might be limited, it is worth checking their availability for your travel dates. We recommend booking the flights some time in advance.

• To Punta Arenas: A more common option is to fly from Santiago de Chile to Punta Arenas. This route is served by LATAM and Sky Airline with more frequent flights. From the airport of Punta Arenas, you would then take a bus to Puerto Natales.

Ground Transportation from Punta Arenas:

If you fly to Punta Arenas, several bus companies can take you to Puerto Natales. The journey is approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes. You can check the schedules and book tickets on their websites. On normal days it is also possible to just buy the bus tickets in Punta Arenas when you have arrived. 

• Bus-Sur: https://www.bussur.com/

• Buses Fernandez: https://www.busesfernandez.com/

Accommodation in Puerto Natales:

Beginning of March is still high season in Puerto Natales. We recommend booking your accommodation in advance.

Possible additional destinations

In case you plan to spend additional time in or near Puerto Natales before or after the meeting, we provide here a description of some possible places to visit:

Torres del Paine National Park

Torres del Paine National Park is one of the most iconic natural destinations in South America and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve renowned for its extraordinary landscapes. Located in Chilean Patagonia, approximately 110 km north of Puerto Natales, the park encompasses more than 2,400 square kilometers of mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, and vast grasslands.

The park is named after its most famous landmark, the Torres del Paine, three striking granite towers that rise dramatically above the surrounding landscape and have become a symbol of Patagonia. Other highlights include the Cuernos del Paine, the Grey Glacier, and the turquoise waters of Lakes Pehoé and Nordenskjöld. The region hosts a rich variety of wildlife, including guanacos, foxes, rheas, condors, and, with some luck, the elusive puma.

Torres del Paine is internationally recognized for its hiking opportunities, including the renowned W and O trekking circuits, which attract visitors from around the world. Its combination of pristine wilderness, dramatic scenery, and unique biodiversity makes it one of the premier national parks on the planet.

For conference participants, Torres del Paine offers an exceptional opportunity to experience the natural beauty of Patagonia before or after the scientific program. The park's vast landscapes, shaped by glaciers and geological processes over millions of years, provide a memorable complement to discussions about the formation and evolution of structures on the largest scales of the Universe.

Isla Magdalena

Located in the Strait of Magellan, approximately 35 kilometers northeast of Punta Arenas, Isla Magdalena is one of Patagonia's most remarkable wildlife destinations. The island forms part of the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument and is best known for hosting one of the largest colonies of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) in South America.

During the breeding season, which extends from spring through late summer, more than 100,000 penguins inhabit the island, creating an extraordinary spectacle for visitors. Carefully designed walking paths allow guests to observe the penguins at close range while minimizing disturbance to the colony. In addition to penguins, the island is home to a variety of seabirds, including cormorants, skuas, gulls, and occasionally dolphins and sea lions can be observed in the surrounding waters.

A historic lighthouse, constructed in 1902, stands near the center of the island and offers insight into the maritime history of the Strait of Magellan, one of the world's most important navigational routes before the opening of the Panama Canal.

Excursions to Isla Magdalena are among the most popular activities in the Magallanes region and provide visitors with a unique opportunity to experience the rich wildlife and natural heritage of southern Patagonia. For conference participants, a visit to the island offers a memorable complement to the scientific program and an opportunity to explore one of the most iconic ecosystems of the southern hemisphere.