 | ||
| Chaitén | ||
| region | Región de los Lagos | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5.071 (2017) | |
| height | 12 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
| ||
Chaitén is a small port city in the Región de los Lagos in Chile. The village offers an important transport hub on the Carretera Austral with important ferry connections to Chiloe, Puerto Montt and others. The city was badly damaged in the 2008 volcanic eruption. In the region lies the great private one Pumalín Park with several volcanoes and giant trees up to 3000 years old.
background
In 2008 the nearby volcano Chaitén erupted and destroyed almost the entire settlement and buried it under a thick layer of ash. The reconstruction of the city is now well advanced. Especially the surrounding dead forests in the Pumalín Park still clearly remember the outbreak.
getting there
By plane
A small airport is located 15 km north on Carretera Austral.
By bus
There are daily bus connections to Puerto Montt as well as to the places Palena and Futaleufú There are more irregular bus connections to the south along the Carretera Austral Coyhaique, Puyuhuapi and Puerto Cisnes.
The bus station is at "Chaitour" in the "Bernardo O'Higgins" near the coast.
In the street
The city is a transport hub in the northern section of the Carretera Austral, 200 km south of Puerto Montt and 400 km north of Coyhaique.
By boat
There are ferry connections to Puerto Montt, Quellón and Castro on Chiloe and right after Hornopirén in the north of the Carretera Austral.
mobility
Most of the town's streets are gravel, but there are sidewalks. There is no urban local transport, but you can get around the small town on foot.
Tourist Attractions
The place itself offers no sights and is inconspicuous. But the whole is worth seeing Pumalín Park by Douglas Tompkins.
activities
It is only recommended to do some (volcano) hikes in the Pumalín Park to do. The starting point is the Carretera Austral in the north Caleta Gonzalo or the finely laid out tourist village El Amarillo.
On site you can briefly visit the viewpoint "Cerro La Gruta" in the north, from which you have a good view of the settlement and the bay.
shop
kitchen
accommodation
health
Practical advice
money
The ATM in the city's only bank is out of date and does not work with many foreign (Visa) cards if they have a chip (as of 03/16). The Banco de Estado is located northeast of the central square on "Av. De Libertad".
information
- Tourist Information. The "Chaitén Nativo" tourist information office is located next to the Banco de Estado on Av. de Libertad. The cell phone network is unreliable and mobile internet (2G) on site is slow (Entel, 03/16).Open: Mon - Fri (with siesta / lunch break).
trips
- Go to rafting Futaleufú
- With the ferry to the main island Chiloe to Quellón, known for its wooden architecture
