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| This part of the
country is the one most varied in its landscapes and possible
outdoor activities. |
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Southern
Chile is typified by much rainfall and low
temperatures in the winter. The more you advance toward
the south, the more the climate becomes rainier and
colder. In summer, the south is usually hot but it keeps
raining. |
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Church in Matao - Chiloé |
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Nahuelbuta National Park |
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Valdivia |
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| This is one of
the country areas where a rich variety of landscapes,
climates, heights, lakes, mountains and a vast quantity
of attractions come together in magic harmony to make
of it a privileged area in Chile and the world. |
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| The climate in
general is more humid and the rains are more abundant
mainly in the coast and in the mountain range area. The
Andes mountain range becomes a succession of spectacular
volcanoes, millennial forests and crystalline lakes. The
Conguillío National Park is of exceptional
interest: it surrounds the gigantic Llaima volcano and
is predominantly populated by Araucaria trees (Araucanian
Araucaria), considered survivors of prehistory. For the
Mapuche (the Spaniards called them Araucanos), the araucaria
was a rich food source in its seeds: the pehuén.
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| Toward the south
a succession of lakes of singular beauty begins, such
as: Colico, Caburgua and the great lake Villarrica. In
this last one, in its west and east ends are located the
important tourist centers of Villarrica (the town) and
Pucón. Both towns have excellent hotels and in
Pucón there is a gambling Casino. |
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| It is in this area
where the Mapuche people lived. For that reason, toward
the interior, in spite of centuries past, it is possible
to find towns were time seems to have stopped. In contrast,
the capital city of this region, Temuco, has become the
last years an advanced modern city. In fact, it is the
one that has experienced the highest economic growth.
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| The cities of Valdivia,
Osorno, Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt,
are good starting points to make trips to the beautiful
lakes that go into in the Andes. |
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| Each one of the
main cities of the lakes region have excellent hotels,
gastronomy, commercial centers and transport. They have
attractions for all tastes and ages. Of particular interest
is the following of national parks along the frontier
with Argentina. These parks protect various ecosystems
like native forests and volcanic highlands. |
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| For the people
with more specific interests or the adventurous, the lakes
region has a myriad of possibilities: walks, mountaineering,
rafting, observation of birds, mountain bicycle and horseback
rides, among others. |
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| More to the south,
where the Central Valley finally
collapses in the Pacific and the Chilean Patagonia begins,
there are magnificent millennial larch forests, the second
older tree of the world. Certain exemplars of this coniferous
surpass the 3.500 years of age. |
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| The main towns
of Chiloé are Ancud, Dalcahue, Castro,
Chonchi and Quellón.
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| The Big Island
of Chiloé is located 1.186 kilometers from Santiago
and 90 kilometers to the Southwest of Puerto Montt. Attractions
of this region are its typical wooden buildings, its lake
houses and its church buildings. The local culture mixes
mythology with Catholicism. They are very kind and affectionate
people. |
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| The Chiloé
archipelago is like a small continent embedded into the
Chilean territory, with a very different geographically.
Being the Big Island of Chiloé the second largest
of South America, (after Tierra del Fuego), it is separated
from the continent by the Chacao channel and from the
Andean mountain range by an interior sea, extending for
about 180 kilometers toward the south. The Big Island
has an abrupt and inhospitable western coast, presenting
along its coast the eroded relief of the millennial Coastal
Mountain range. |
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| This mountain range,
never higher than 1000 meters, is drastically cut in two
by two lakes, the Cucao and the Huillinco, and although
more to the south the mountains go up again, they never
recover as a range. This mountain range is called Piuche
mountain range north of the lakes and Pirulil mountain
range south of the lakes. Apart from these hills covered
with impenetrable forests, the relief of the Big Island
is more softer than rough. |
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| Cucao
is the entrance to one of the few forest areas of the
world that conserves the primitive character of its flora
and fauna, this is the Chiloé National
Park. There one can enjoy the peace that offers
us the contact with a non polluted nature and the pleasure
of their beaches of fine sands that extend for several
kilometers. |
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| Among the diverse
traditions and customs of the area of Chiloé there
is the Curanto, a local dish, though
it is more than a dish. It is a party in which all work
in function of it. Mainly, its making begins with digging
a hole in the earth of more or less half meter, in which
are placed big heated stones and above it various food
items like shellfish (cholgas, clams, choritos, picorocos)
and meat (sausages, chicken, smoked pig). All these are
previously seasoned and are placed near the stones to
achieve better cooking. Then, potatoes are placed, chapaleles
(mass of raw flour cooked in water), milcaos (striped
potato masses) and nalca leaves (bush of big leaves).
This arrangement is then covered with champas (earth held
together by grass roots) with the grass turned face down.
Finally, the whole is left to cook for about one our.
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| The curanto is
served with a sauce called “pebre”
that contains chili peppers (chili), salt, water, onions,
coriander leaves, parsley and others. |
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| The Maja
is a task in which young and strong men intervene,
where apples are milled and then pressed to extract its
juice, which is the fermented into the chicha
de manzana. |
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| La Minga,
se realiza cuando alguna familia debe trasladarse de una
isla a otra, generalmente, llevandose su casa. Para este
efecto se junta una cantidad de gente que arrastra la
casa hasta el mar con bueyes. Luego ésta, que flota
como balsa porque es de madera, es llevada a su nuevo
lugar de destino, generalmente otra isla y asentada donde
se decide. Estas tradiciones aún se mantienen en
Chiloé. Esto permite perfilar el gran sentido de
solidaridad que caracteriza al chilote y al mismo tiempo,
la rica tradición musical y poética que
lo acompaña. |
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| The 14 Church
buildings of Chiloé represent the only
example in Latin America of their unique style of religious
architecture in wood. They were built by the initiative
of the itinerant Jesuit preachers during the 17th and
18th centuries and they are the testimony of the fusion
of the Indigenous and European cultures and techniques.
For this reason, they were declared Patrimony
of Humanity by UNESCO in the year 2000. |
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| The origins of
the Chiloé mythology are a mixture
of the old religions of their first inhabitants, the Huilliches,
Cuncos and Onas, and the mythologies and superstitions,
specially Celtic, brought by the Spaniards and other Europeans.
Dozens of mythological characters exist in this true Olympus.
Most of these beings are animal-like, living in the water
or in land and have transfiguration abilities. In general
they are evil and can cause damage. |
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| One of the most
outstanding divinities is The Pincoya that
represents a poetic vision of the fisherman's love for
the beauty of the sea, as source of employment and food,
or of tempests when she has a bad temper. Another important
character is The Trauco, a very satirical
midget to which are attributed many of the natural births
of Chiloé. And there is The Caleuche,
a spoke ship that navigates the seas of Chiloé
and the multiple channels of the south. Powerful sorcerers
conform its crew, which only navigates at nights, never
with the light of day. According to the popular belief,
people that have died drowned are picked up by this mysterious
ship from the depths of the sea to be welcomed into eternal
life. Although the ship offers home to those that have
shipwrecked, it is not as gentile with those that have
dared to direct their sight on him. The crew punishes
those "fearless" by twisting their the mouths
or their backs and even in occasions, killing them. |
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