Raúl Marín Balmaceda

The above photo was taken in 2007 as the ship I was on stopped at this small fishing village. I was so impressed by the beautiful setting, with snow-capped Melimoyu Volcano in the background and a white sand beach that I vowed to return. With the completion of a road to the main highway just last year, I saw my chance to visit for some days and then continue my journey inland.

Naviera Austral recently added the Don Baldo, a new ship that stops by Raúl Marín, so I boarded in Quellón, on the southern tip of Chiloé Island.

We could easily see the Cordillera and many volcanos from Quellón. On the left is Corcovado (7,020 feet) and on the far right is Melimoyu (7,900 feet), near my destination, nine hours away by ship.

It was a rare day of warm sun, and during the first couple of hours we had gorgeous views of the Cordillera, the spine of Andes Mountains that defines the border between Chile and Argentina, a scant 100 miles or less from the coast.

As darkness fell and the ship sailed south toward the first landing in Melinka, we were exposed to the open ocean that became extremely uncomfortable for this landlubber. We then headed east toward the Patagonia mainland in calmer seas, arriving around 3am. I had made arrangements to stay at a local B&B and was met at the wharf for the short ride to the house and quickly to bed.

Señora Teresa and Don Orlando were my hosts for the next six days at Hospedaje Melimoyu (phone: 6222 4944). Their beautiful addition of upstairs rooms was completed just last year, using local woods and showing much attention to detail. Fresh local fish and shellfish was served, along with homemade bread and jams, and lettuce from the greenhouse.

My first impulse was to find that beautiful white sand beach that caught my attention four years ago. After a late morning coffee, I found it, only a few yards away through some trees. This provided a satisfying walk for the next two hours, as I stopped often to taste the wild strawberries that share the dunes with pampas grass, nalca, dandelions, and Scotch Broom.



By chance I discovered a well-maintained trail in the forest that fortunately led back toward the village. This area of northern Patagonia receives more than six feet of rain annually, so the forest is dense and rich, with thousands of feathery ferns growing out of the bark of trees.



Tiny frogs less than two inches in length leap out of my way, and the call of the chucao bird is heard throughout the damp and drippy trail.

Raúl Marín Balmaceda is located on a delta island at the mouth of the Palena River. The village counts about 40 families representing 311 people living in houses scattered about the dunes and forest. The main activity is fishing and shellfish extraction. The foreign companies found in other areas of southern Chile seem to be missing here. Tourism is just beginning now that vehicles can arrive.







Summer weather varies throughout the day from clear skies and warm sun to driving rain and wind. Walking through the forest to the mouth of the river became my favorite activity. But not once in these five days did I see the Melimoyu Volcano that appeared in my 2007 visit of one hour by ship.

Click here to view the surf at the punta

Click here to view a video slide show with more photos