Tours and Activities:

Tenglo Island, Natural Nook

There is a fishing village where, from its shores, the view of the city and the Relancovi inlet takes on new dimensions.

To discover what Tenglo Island has to offer, located opposite Puerto Montt, we decided to cross the narrow channel that separates it from urban life, explore its interior, and uncover its secrets. Today, the island is part of the “Angelmó and Tenglo Island” Tourist Interest Zone, which has prompted new initiatives to strengthen its identity as a destination.

Next to the entrance to the Angelmó market is a pier from which traditional transfer boats depart, a service that continues to be used by both tourists and locals. We boarded an old wooden rowboat, shared with locals, and as we moved away from the shore, we contemplated the characteristic stilt houses, the waterfront, and the port. Although a municipal project to build a new viewing pier on the island is underway, it is still in the planning stages.

In just eight minutes, we reached the other side, where an old wooden building, once the Hoffmann family's hotel and restaurant, welcomed us. There, their traditional curantos de hoyo, made with a Chilote recipe, became famous.

Walking along the shore of the canal towards La Puntilla, we discovered the island's wild nature until we reached the wide volcanic sand beach, where visitors were already enjoying the sun under the supervision of lifeguards. We sat down to observe the vastness of the landscape and identify each building and point of interest in Puerto Montt from this new perspective.

Its inhabitants are mainly fishermen, who make up a small neighborhood of simple houses and have a small port that protects their colorful boats. In recent years, the community has promoted a project to open its activities to visitors through “sea and land” tourism tours, which allow them to learn about their fishing work and the island's viewpoints. Among the local stories, we learned about the legend of La Pincoya, the young woman in a seaweed dress who guides sailors to good fishing areas. Several traditional festivals and religious celebrations, such as that of the Virgin of Lourdes, are shared each year with those who know their dates and traditions.

We walked towards the southern shore, where huge wall- rocks prevented us from continuing, but offered an impressive view of the bay.

We then returned to the trail that would take us to the enormous cross installed on top of a small hill that we had already seen lit up at night. After about twenty minutes of intense climbing, our physical effort was rewarded with the panoramic view we obtained from there. In the background, the Osorno, Puntiagudo, and Calbuco volcanoes framed the scene, while the urban coastline unfolded below us. From the top, we also discovered new hiking trails and the amplified murmur of urban movement.

As a corollary to our visit to the island, we were left with the memory of that intense hike in a peaceful and rural setting, along with the magic of seeing Puerto Montt from a completely different perspective than we had before the crossing.

See also: Hotels in Puerto Montt and other accommodation venues