Caleta Tortel is a coastal village located between the mouth of Baker River, the largest river in Chile, and a small Cove with the Baker channel. The surrounding geography is resistant, made up of a series of Islands, fjords, channels and estuaries.
Caleta Tortel is a coastal village, located between the mouth of the Baker River the largest river in Chile 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 de las guaytecas wood that was abundant in the area. The timber business accounts for most of the economy in Tortel to this day.
Caleta Tortel consists mainly of stilt houses, typical of Chilotan architecture, built along the coast for several kilometers. There are no conventional streets - instead there are wooden walkways build with Guaitecas Cypress. The wooden walkways give the village its distinctive look and its unique culture