Saavedra, Chile

Puerto Saavedra is a city in southern Chile, and is located in the Región de la Araucanía. It has about 14,000 inhabitants ( 2004).

Geography and climate

The port city is located about 85 km west of Temuco at the mouth of the Río Imperial, which empties into the Pacific Ocean. 10 km southeast of the town of Lake Budi is with its 56 km ².

The climate is Mediterranean.

History

Before 1554 already living large Mapuche communities on the islands / peninsulas of Lake Budi. The Spaniards tried their Imperial fortress to penetrate into the area. The areas in the region of Río Imperial were conquered by the Spanish conquistadors never right. From 1604 to 1880 here governed the Mapuche virtually unrestricted.

The settlement began in 1881, the settlers were mostly German immigrants. Puerto Saavedra was founded in 1895 by Cornelio Saavedra.

On May 22, 1960, the port town of Puerto Saavedra, was almost completely destroyed by the heaviest ever recorded earthquake that triggered a tsunami in the Pacific also.

Attractions

The landscape around Lake Budi, with its many peninsulas and islands offers hiking opportunities. A ferry from Puerto Dominguez goes free to Peninsula Huapi in the lake. On the island lives a Mapuchegemeinschaft. Pacific Coast is the 4 km long sandy beach of Playa Maule. The mountain Cerro Mirador represents a viewpoint

Economy

Besides tourism, the fishing mainly plays an important economic role.