A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers San Fernando vs. Punta Arenas for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit San Fernando or Punta Arenas?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between San Fernando or Punta Arenas, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: San Fernando or Punta Arenas?

San Fernando

As the industrial capital of Trinidad & Tobago, San Fernando is an oil city which attracts more business visitors than tourists. While it is primarily focused on industry, the city has a certain charm with its old buildings and sloping streets that frame pretty views of the sea. It is the big city of Trinidad's southern half with plenty to offer in nightlife, especially during Carnival.

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 San Fernando and Punta Arenas, we can see that San Fernando is more expensive. And not only is Punta Arenas much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since San Fernando 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 San Fernando would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Fernando 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 San Fernando Expensive? and Is Punta Arenas Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, San Fernando or Punta Arenas?

Punta Arenas has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of San Fernando. When comparing the sizes of San Fernando 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 San Fernando or Punta Arenas?

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

Should I visit San Fernando or Punta Arenas in the Summer?

Both Punta Arenas and San Fernando are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to San Fernando throughout the year.

In the summer, San Fernando is much warmer than Punta Arenas. Typically, the summer temperatures in San Fernando in July average around 27°C (81°F), and Punta Arenas averages at about 11°C (52°F)in January.

It's quite sunny in Punta Arenas. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in San Fernando. San Fernando usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Punta Arenas during summer. San Fernando gets 206 hours of sunny skies, while Punta Arenas receives 208 hours of full sun in the summer.

It's quite rainy in San Fernando. In July, San Fernando usually receives more rain than Punta Arenasin January. San Fernando gets 266 mm (10.5 in) of rain, while Punta Arenas receives 39 mm (1.5 in) of rain each month for the summer.

Should I visit San Fernando or Punta Arenas in the Autumn?

Both Punta Arenas and San Fernando during the autumn are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to San Fernando because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

In October, San Fernando is generally much warmer than Punta Arenasin April. Daily temperatures in San Fernando average around 27°C (81°F), and Punta Arenas fluctuates around 7°C (44°F).

It's quite sunny in San Fernando. In the autumn, San Fernando often gets more sunshine than Punta Arenasin April. San Fernando gets 207 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Punta Arenas receives 119 hours of full sun.

It rains a lot this time of the year in San Fernando. San Fernando usually gets more rain in October than Punta Arenasin April. San Fernando gets 199 mm (7.8 in) of rain, while Punta Arenas receives 36 mm (1.4 in) of rain this time of the year.

Should I visit San Fernando or Punta Arenas in the Winter?

The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both San Fernando and Punta Arenas. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to San Fernando year-round.

It's quite cold in Punta Arenas in the winter. San Fernando is much warmer than Punta Arenas in the winter. The daily temperature in San Fernando averages around 26°C (78°F) in January, and Punta Arenas fluctuates around 1°C (35°F)in July.

In San Fernando, it's very sunny this time of the year. San Fernando usually receives more sunshine than Punta Arenas during winter. San Fernando gets 241 hours of sunny skies, while Punta Arenas receives 70 hours of full sun in the winter.

In January, San Fernando usually receives more rain than Punta Arenasin July. San Fernando gets 71 mm (2.8 in) of rain, while Punta Arenas receives 30 mm (1.2 in) of rain each month for the winter.

Should I visit San Fernando or Punta Arenas in the Spring?

The spring brings many poeple to San Fernando as well as Punta Arenas. San Fernando attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In the spring, San Fernando is much warmer than Punta Arenas. Typically, the spring temperatures in San Fernando in April average around 27°C (81°F), and Punta Arenas averages at about 7°C (44°F)in October.

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in San Fernando this time of the year. In the spring, San Fernando often gets more sunshine than Punta Arenasin October. San Fernando gets 238 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Punta Arenas receives 183 hours of full sun.

San Fernando usually gets more rain in April than Punta Arenasin October. San Fernando gets 51 mm (2 in) of rain, while Punta Arenas receives 29 mm (1.1 in) of rain this time of the year.

Typical Weather for Punta Arenas and San Fernando