Los Molles

Los Molles is a small village on the coast north of Papudo, and the reason to stop is the Puquen sanctuary just south of it: a stretch of rocky shore where the sea has undercut the rock and forced a vertical shaft through it, so that on the right swell the water is driven up and out as a spout - the bufadero. It works on swell and tide rather than on demand, so seeing it perform is luck. The sanctuary also protects coastal scrub with cacti and a stretch of shore used by sea otters and birds, with a marked path along the cliff.

What's there

• A blowhole in the rock - the sea forced up a vertical shaft.
• Working on swell and tide - not on any schedule.
• Coastal scrub and cacti - protected in the Puquen sanctuary.
• A cliff path - marked along the shore.

When to go

December to March; the blowhole is best on a big swell. Half a day.

Things to know

The blowhole may do nothing at all on a calm day. The cliff edges are unfenced and the rocks are dangerous when swell is running. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Papudo and Zapallar are south; Los Vilos is north.

Key facts