What to see in Chiloe island: Muelle de las Almas

It all started when María, as always inspirational, showed me photos from her trip to Chiloé. She complained about getting totally wet on the first day, being unprepared to the rainy weather and ending up buying all the clothes necessary for more rain. But then she admitted that whatever the weather is like on the island, it is always picturesque and charming.

For a long time I did not find an opportunity to visit this most famous island of Chile. I had already been on the continent for two years and not visiting Chiloé was something odd in the eyes of all the Chileans.

This is probably first or second destination they mentions as a touristic must. There are so many hidden gems to be discovered in South America that somewhere so popular like Chiloé was not seeming very tempting. I really enjoy going where not many go, but going to Chiloé was inevitable in the end. I guess the thing that (I wouldn’t say convinced me as I wanted to go there anyway) but slightly prioritized my travel plans was a photo of María and a little wooden dock in the middle of a breathtaking landscape. Ohh man!, all the questions I asked about what and where and how to get there. After seeing the penguins and whales, Muelle de las Almas was the second place I wanted to see on the island (and there was a third thing, about which I will write soon enough).

“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin

After all day of soaking the beautifully green landscape of the island and visiting some charming little villages, we got to Cucao, a little place on the western coast. The path was made of dirt and some locals told us that the gate to enter the private property, in which the dock is located closes at 6pm. We were almost resigned, nonetheless we asked, a family member that owns the place as we guessed, if they would let us pass.

For a small fee they charged all the visitors and a promise that we would not get lost, we started our 40-minutes long hike through incredible landscape. The smell of fresh trees was penetrating our nostrils quickly reaching our brains. The boost of fresh air was amazing. There was no one there. The only creatures we met on the way were birds and horses.

Caleta Buena. In search for penguins and discovering hidden gems of Chile.

Keep calm…and go to Chile. What you need to know before your trip.

When we finally got to the point what it looked like the end of the Earth, in front of our eyes appeared an image that could not have been more perfect. It was truly breathtaking. We just stood there for a while admiring the place. Cool wind and setting sun from time to time were reminding us that we cannot stay there forever. It was tempting though.

We got down, sat there for a little while thinking about the legend enriching this place. The magic seemed real. The white foamy waves hitting the cliffs, swishing wind and content sheep in the distance were the only sounds we could hear.

Tours worth taking in Chiloe:

Story of Muelle de las Almas

Muelle de las Almas is a little piece of art in a shape of a wooden dock installed in the middle of remote part of the island representing an indigenous mythology.

The oral tradition in Chiloé tells a story about the souls and their journey to transcend this world after the death. THE DOCK OF THE SOULS is a beautiful homage of the sculpture to this oral tradition that I want to share with you and that, more or less, says the following:

THE DOCK OF THE SOULS- KUY-KUY TEMPILKAWE

…”The ancients tell us that when a person dies, his soul must travel to the cliffs of Punta Pirulil and call the Tempilkawe bargeman, who will transport him in his white foam boat to the horizon and the sky, not before being that soul prepared and having its beautiful llanka (colourful precious stones) which he will charge as ticket fare… “

…”In the Mapuche pre-Christian cosmogony there is a universal soul, Pu-am, where the souls of all living creatures, animals and plants congregate. When a human being is conceived, from the Pu-am a unique soul is released, Am, which is part of that living creature until its death. When the man or woman dies, the Am leaves his/her body and becomes Pillü, a state during which the soul does not want to move away from familiar places. However, the state of Pillü is very dangerous because in that state the soul can be trapped by the Kalku and by the Wekufes. When finally Pillü moves away from the places where it lived, it has to reach the island of Ngülchenmaywe, where it becomes Alwe. In this state the soul can no longer be trapped by anyone and so, the soul can return to familiar places to help relatives and descendants. When time passes and no one remembers the dead, the Alwe dissolves in the Pu-am and returns to be part of the universal soul…”

Mindful moment:

Get soaked in. Seeing new landscapes while traveling is amazing, but allowing yourself to simply be and soak the beauty with all the senses can be very powerful. Whether you are in nature or a busy city, try to soak yourself in the feeling, smell, people watching and all the parts of the surrounding. Try to understand the people, try to see the place in a totally new, more meaningful manner.

Use my favourite travel resources to plan your dream trips

Booking.com for searching best prices on accommodation.
Discover Cars is a great website as they search both local and international car hire services, so you can choose the best deal for yourself. Make sure though, that the company has a good reputation and reviews.
Get Your Guide is my place to go for searching and booking tours and excursions, especially when I travel solo.
World Nomads travel insurance. I like them because they have quite extensive coverage of different activities.
Jack’s Flight Club is a service that can save you hundreds of dollars on flights, it works especially well in Europe.
Trivago where you can search and save on hotels.
Go City is a perfect site for booking bucket list experiences and attractions all in one to avoid paying for multiple tickets. Easy and saves money.
Trip Advisor– amazing for good quality recommendations.
Skyscanner is a perfect website for searching flight routes and comparing prices.

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Thank you for visiting. Have you visited any magical places recently? Or is there any place that you would love to go to? Share your dreams and inspiration with us.

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