A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Basse-Terre vs. Punta Arenas for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Basse-Terre or Punta Arenas?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Basse-Terre or Punta Arenas? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Basse-Terre or Punta Arenas?

Basse-Terre

In Guadeloupe there is Basse Terre the city and Basse-Terre the island - the city is the capital of Guadeloupe, and the island is Guadeloupe's western half of the main island. As a whole, the place is very green, featuring lush vegetation and a mountainous landscape with a sulfuric volcano.

Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas is in the far south of Chile and has a long history of maritime commerce, oil extraction, and sheep farming. It's the most populated city on the Strait of Magellan and has all the facilities you might need as a traveler, including banks, markets, drugstores and equipment shops. With a population of about 130,000, the city is a comfortable place to spend time. It serves as a base for Antarctic expeditions, although many expeditions also start in Ushuaia, Argentina, and Christchurch New Zealand.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Santiago, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Chile.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Basse-Terre and Punta Arenas, we can see that Basse-Terre is more expensive. And not only is Punta Arenas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Basse-Terre is in Caribbean Islands and Punta Arenas is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Punta Arenas would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Punta Arenas and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Basse-Terre would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Basse-Terre than you might in Punta Arenas.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Basse-Terre Expensive? and Is Punta Arenas Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Basse-Terre or Punta Arenas?

Punta Arenas has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Basse-Terre. When comparing the sizes of Basse-Terre and Punta Arenas, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.

When is the best time to visit Basse-Terre or Punta Arenas?

Punta Arenas has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Basse-Terre experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Basse-Terre or Punta Arenas in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Basse-Terre as well as Punta Arenas. Basse-Terre attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In July, Basse-Terre is generally much warmer than Punta Arenasin January. Daily temperatures in Basse-Terre average around 27°C (81°F), and Punta Arenas fluctuates around 11°C (52°F).

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Punta Arenas. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Basse-Terre this time of the year. In the summer, Basse-Terre often gets more sunshine than Punta Arenasin January. Basse-Terre gets 245 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Punta Arenas receives 208 hours of full sun.

Basse-Terre receives a lot of rain in the summer. Basse-Terre usually gets more rain in July than Punta Arenasin January. Basse-Terre gets 150 mm (5.9 in) of rain, while Punta Arenas receives 39 mm (1.5 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Basse-Terre or Punta Arenas in the Autumn?

Both Punta Arenas and Basse-Terre are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Basse-Terre throughout the year.

Basse-Terre is much warmer than Punta Arenas in the autumn. The daily temperature in Basse-Terre averages around 27°C (80°F) in October, and Punta Arenas fluctuates around 7°C (44°F)in April.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Basse-Terre. Basse-Terre usually receives more sunshine than Punta Arenas during autumn. Basse-Terre gets 217 hours of sunny skies, while Punta Arenas receives 119 hours of full sun in the autumn.

It's quite rainy in Basse-Terre. In October, Basse-Terre usually receives more rain than Punta Arenasin April. Basse-Terre gets 228 mm (9 in) of rain, while Punta Arenas receives 36 mm (1.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Basse-Terre or Punta Arenas in the Winter?

Both Punta Arenas and Basse-Terre during the winter are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Basse-Terre because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

Punta Arenas can get quite cold in the winter. In the winter, Basse-Terre is much warmer than Punta Arenas. Typically, the winter temperatures in Basse-Terre in January average around 24°C (76°F), and Punta Arenas averages at about 1°C (35°F)in July.

It's quite sunny in Basse-Terre. In the winter, Basse-Terre often gets more sunshine than Punta Arenasin July. Basse-Terre gets 236 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Punta Arenas receives 70 hours of full sun.

Basse-Terre usually gets more rain in January than Punta Arenasin July. Basse-Terre gets 84 mm (3.3 in) of rain, while Punta Arenas receives 30 mm (1.2 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit Basse-Terre or Punta Arenas in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Basse-Terre and Punta Arenas. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Basse-Terre year-round.

In April, Basse-Terre is generally much warmer than Punta Arenasin October. Daily temperatures in Basse-Terre average around 26°C (78°F), and Punta Arenas fluctuates around 7°C (44°F).

In Basse-Terre, it's very sunny this time of the year. Basse-Terre usually receives more sunshine than Punta Arenas during spring. Basse-Terre gets 240 hours of sunny skies, while Punta Arenas receives 183 hours of full sun in the spring.

Basse-Terre gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In April, Basse-Terre usually receives more rain than Punta Arenasin October. Basse-Terre gets 123 mm (4.8 in) of rain, while Punta Arenas receives 29 mm (1.1 in) of rain each month for the spring.

Typical Weather for Punta Arenas and Basse-Terre