Muelle de las Almas, or The Dock of Souls, is a fantastic day trip while visiting the island of Chiloe in Central Chile.
We recently returned from a family trip to Chile. We were absolutely blown away by the beauty of the country! So many national parks. So many volcanoes. So many hot springs. So much beauty!
On the last day of our trip we decided to go visit Muelle de las Almas (The Dock of Souls) on the island of Chiloe. We were following a tip from our Airbnb host as we had never heard of it before. We are so glad we did as it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. Isn’t it funny how the last minute, unplanned things usually turn out to be the best? It confirms for us that it is always good to be flexible, to live in the moment and to follow the advice of locals!
Getting There
Muelle de las Almas is on the west coast of the island of Chiloe, near the town of Cucao on Punta Pirulil. We were staying in the town of Castro on the island and the drive took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Most of the road there is paved until you reach the coast line. From there you turn south and the road is gravel from here on in. We didn’t have a 4×4 vehicle but we were able to make it most of the way with no problems. The last little hill up to the access point of the trail was just a bit too steep and hadn’t been grated recently, so we parked along the side of the road and started the hike from there.
From the access point, the hike is 2.4km. It has rolling hills and passes through grazing areas for sheep with the occasional wooden sheep gate to pass through.
The day we were there was misty and foggy along the coast and so the view was mostly obscured. At first we were a bit disappointed, but then we began to fall in love with the feeling of mystique that hung in the air.
The dock itself is an art installation built by a wood sculptor and art professor named Marcelo Orellana Rivera. It pays homage to the island’s native culture and commemorates the Mapuche mythology about the cantankerous ferryman who would take the souls of the departed across to the “other-side.” He sometimes required a fee and often times refused boarding, leaving the left behind souls to torment the cliffs below, never to find rest.
Punta Pirulil mesmerized us with its mystique and it’s beauty. The fog and mist ended up making the place feel more magical and mysterious. It truly felt like we had walked to the end of the earth!
We sat with a picnic and watched the turkey vultures perch on the side of the cliffs below us and then soar off into the mist. We listened to the crashing waves and the calls of the sea lions below. We waited and watched for the occasional brief opening in the mist to see the tumultuous waves and the open sea beyond. It was magic.
So, although it may be a bit off the beaten track we highly recommend a visit to Muelles de las Almas.
Tip: We went early in the day and pretty much had the place to ourselves. Early morning starts are one advantage of traveling with kids! We have heard that it can get busy later in the day though.
To read more more day trip ideas while visiting the island of Chiloe check out our guide to Visiting the Penguins of Chiloe.
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