Puerto Edén

Thanks to nearly incessant rains, misleadingly named Puerto Edén is as verdant as Adam and Eve’s Biblical garden, but red-tide conditions have placed the shellfish livelihood of the remaining 15 or so Kawéskar Indians at risk. Their only other money comes from government handouts and some sadly crude crafts—tiny carved canoes and shells, for instance. Alcoholism is unfortunately common.

Vicinity is a relative term at Puerto Edén (population about 300), which is about 400 kilometers northwest of Puerto Natales [1]. The Navimag ferry to and from Puerto Montt [2] now stops long enough for an onshore excursion, and it also gets Skorpios III cruise-ship passengers [3] and private yachts, which can explore the ice fields of the Campo de Hielo Sur, in Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins [4], from the west.

Cruise passengers typically spend a couple hours on shore, on a boardwalk over soggy terrain to an overlook where, on clear days, the view is magnificent; the Navimag ferry Magallanes provides an optional tour, with all proceeds going to the community. There’s also a replica of a traditional Kawéskar house, but nobody lives in these sorts of dwellings anymore.

The only accommodations and food are at Hospedería Yekchal, on the boardwalk north of the dock. Large ships can only approach the shore and need to shuttle passengers with smaller boats.