Puerto Montt

Puerto Montt is a port city and commune located in southern Chile at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound within the Los Lagos Region. Situated 1,055 km south of the capital of Santiago, the commune spans an area of 1,673 square kilometers and houses a population of 245,902 residents according to the 2017 census.

How did a forested Mapuche territory known as Melipulli transform into a strategic southern gateway and the administrative capital of the Los Lagos Region?

Originally covered by thick forests and named Melipulli, which translates to four hills in Mapudungun, the site was identified by the colonial government as an ideal entrance to Lake Llanquihue. Following initial exploration efforts by Bernardo Philippi, Vicente Perez Rosales oversaw operations to clear the dense woodland at the Reloncaví sound using local woodsmen. After burning the cleared land, the settlement was officially founded on February 12, 1853, during the German colonization of southern Chile. It was named in honor of Manuel Montt, who served as President of Chile between 1851 and 1861 and initiated the government-sponsored immigration that integrated the region politically.

A major historical turning point occurred in 1960 when the devastating Valdivia earthquake destroyed much of Puerto Montt, collapsing the port, the train station, and numerous residential buildings. Despite this catastrophe, the city rebuilt itself and entered a new era of administrative and economic elevation. In 1979, Puerto Montt was designated as the capital of the Los Lagos Region, cementing its status as the principal political and commercial hub of southern Chile. Accelerated population and economic expansion followed in the late 1980s with the establishment of the Chilean salmon farming industry, anchoring the city as the nerve center of a global aquaculture boom.