Puerto Eden

Puerto Eden sits on Wellington Island in the western channels, has no road and no airstrip, and is reached only by the ferry that runs between Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales - it is one of the most isolated permanently inhabited places in Chile. The village is built on wooden boardwalks over the shore, with a population of around sixty. It was established in the 1930s and Kawesqar families were settled there; the last people who grew up speaking Kawesqar as a first language live here, and the language is critically endangered with a handful of speakers left. Rainfall is among the highest recorded anywhere in the Americas.

What you actually see

• A village on boardwalks - no road, no airstrip, around sixty people.
• Reached only by ferry - the Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales route.
• The last Kawesqar speakers - a language down to a handful.
• Extreme rainfall - among the highest recorded in the Americas.

When to go

December to March. A day at the ferry stop, or several days if staying.

Honest expectations

The ferry stop is short and staying means waiting days for the next sailing. There is essentially no accommodation or shop. It rains almost every day. This is a small community, and the Kawesqar residents are not an attraction.

Nearby

Kawesqar national park surrounds the village; the channels run north and south.