Muelle de las Almas

The Muelle de las Almas is a curved timber walkway built in 2005 by the sculptor Marcelo Orellana Rivera on a clifftop at Punta Pirulil on Chiloe's western coast, running out over the edge and stopping in mid-air above the Pacific. It refers to a Chilote belief: that the souls of the dead gather at this coast and call for the ferryman Tempilcahue to carry them across the water, and that those who cannot pay wait. The site is on private farmland and the walk in crosses fields with a charge collected by the owners. It has become one of the most photographed places in Chile.

Highlights

• A jetty ending in mid-air - built in 2005 above the Pacific.
• A Chilote belief about the dead - souls waiting for the ferryman.
• A half hour walk across farmland - from the road end.
• A charge to the landowners - the site is private.

When to go

December to March; the path is mud the rest of the year. Half a day.

Practical notes

The walk crosses open farmland with no shelter and is muddy in most conditions. Wind on the cliff is strong. Numbers on the structure are limited for safety and there can be a queue. It has been closed for repairs at times.

Nearby

Cucao and Chiloe national park are north; Castro is inland.

Key facts