Caleta Tortel (Chile) | hotel, city, village

 hotel, city, village

Caleta Tortel is a coastal village (Spanish: aldea) in Chile. It is the administrave center of the commune of Tortel and is located between the mouth of the Baker River and a small embayment of the Baker Channel. The surrounding geography is rugged, formed by a number of islands, fjords, channels and estuaries. The village was founded in 1955 to exploit the cypress (Pilgerodendron uviferum) wood that was abundant in the area. The timber business accounts for most of the economy in Tortel until today. For most of its history the village had only air and boat access; the road was constructed only in 2003.

Caleta Tortel consists mainly of stilt houses, typical of Chilota architecture, built along the coast for several kilometers. There are no conventional streets - instead there are wooden walkways. This gives the village its distinctive look.

Boat tours to Jorge Montt Glacier and other places are available from the village. The village has ain airstrip (600m long and 23m wide).