Puerto Octay

Puerto Octay is a town and commune located on the north shore of Llanquihue Lake in Los Lagos Region in the south of Chile. It was settled by German colonists in 1852. Puerto Octay was an important port with regular traffic to Puerto Varas before the coming of railway in 1912.

Puerto Octay
Town and Commune
Coat of arms
Location of Puerto Octay commune in Los Lagos Region
Puerto Octay
Location in Chile
Coordinates (town): 40°58′S 72°54′W
CountryChile
RegionLos Lagos
ProvinceOsorno
Founded22 December 1891
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • AlcaldeCarlos Mancilla Solís (DC)
Area
 • Total1,795.7 km2 (693.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2002 Census)[2]
 • Total10,236
 • Density5.7/km2 (15/sq mi)
 • Urban
3,403
 • Rural
6,833
Sex
 • Men5,391
 • Women4,845
Time zoneUTC-4 (CLT[3])
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (CLST[4])
Area code(s)56 +
ClimateCfb
WebsiteMunicipality of Puerto Octay

History

Its origin dates back to the German colonization in 1852 driven by Bernhard Philippi. Years later it became one of the major ports on Lake Llanquihue. On 22 December 1891 the municipality was established, under the Presidency of the Republic Jorge Montt.[5]

German heritage history
See also: German colonization of Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue
typical German architecture in Puerto Octay.

Puerto Octay currently has a rich and varied architecture, mostly built of wood, which is the historical reflection of the colonization process, driven by the State of Chile in the mid-nineteenth century, with families coming from Germany.

So constructions emerge as the House Niklitschek, Hotel Haase, Wulf House, current Colegio San Vicente de Paul and House Werner to name a few. What is extraordinary about this city is that despite the lapse of more than 100 years, it is still possible to assess this type of buildings.

As a way to cherish and protect this architectural heritage, now taking place in Puerto Octay a process of declaration of Typical Zone, where they will identify a representative area of identity and history, which will be legally protected by the State of Chile.

Flora and fauna
Dove house

Birds: thrush, dove, parrot, rooster from the mountain (extinct), kestrel, heron, sparrows, swallows.

Mammals: cougar, nutria, among others.

Fish: salmon native (locally extinct), mackerel, trout.

Tourism
Puerto Octay on the map

Referring to tourism in the district lake, Lake Llanquihue has beautiful beaches for vacation or go fishing and water sports beaches highlighting Falls, Rupanco Islet, La Baja, Puerto Maitén and Fonck.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Puerto Octay spans an area of 1,795.7 km2 (693 sq mi) and has 10,236 inhabitants (5,391 men and 4,845 women). Of these, 3,403 (33.2%) lived in urban areas and 6,833 (66.8%) in rural areas. The population fell by 7.4% (815 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[2]

Administration

As a commune, Puerto Octay is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years.[1]

Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Puerto Octay is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mr. Fidel Espinoza (PS) and Mr. Carlos Recondo (UDI) as part of the 56th electoral district, (together with Puyehue, Río Negro, Purranque, Fresia, Frutillar, Llanquihue, Puerto Varas and Los Muermos). The commune is represented in the Senate by Camilo Escalona Medina (PS) and Carlos Kuschel Silva (RN) as part of the 17th senatorial constituency (Los Lagos Region).

References
  1. "Municipality of Puerto Octay" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 November 2000. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  2. "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  3. "Chile Time". WorldTimeZones.org. Archived from the original on 13 July 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  4. "Chile Summer Time". WorldTimeZones.org. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  5. (in Spanish) Puerto Octay, Un Recodo Alemán Archived 2 February 2002 at the Wayback Machine
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