Cáhuil
Encyclopedia
Cáhuil is a Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

an village located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Pichilemu
Pichilemu
Pichilemu , originally known as Pichilemo, is a beach resort city and commune in central Chile, and capital of Cardenal Caro Province. It is located southwest of Santiago, the capital of Chile, and comprises an urban center and twenty-three villages, such as Ciruelos, Cáhuil, and Espinillo...

, in the outfall of Nilahue Lake, in the O'Higgins Region
O'Higgins Region
The VI O'Higgins Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is subdivided into three provinces. It is named in honour of Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, one of Chile's founding fathers....

. Cáhuil means "seagull's place" in Mapudungun language. The economy is based on the production of coastal salt, oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....

s, and choro
Choro
Choro , traditionally called chorinho , is a Brazilian popular music instrumental style. Its origins are in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. In spite of the name, the style often has a fast and happy rhythm, characterized by virtuosity, improvisation, subtile modulations and full of syncopation and...

s. Cáhuil Lagoon is a place suitable for fishing, swimming, and boat travel.

Salt deposits

The production of salt is a very old practise in the area. It is known that the indigenous people extracted salt in a very rudimentary way. Production has increased using modern methods. As of 1978, more than a 60% of the population of Cáhuil lives on the proceeds of salt production, in production not related to industrial enterprises.

To promote tourism in Cáhuil, the Municipality of Pichilemu created the "Salt Route", that takes the tourists to places where salt is produced. This tour starts in Pichilemu and includes Cáhuil, Barrancas, La Villa, El Bronce, La Palmilla, and La Plaza. Along the route are two rural ranches, "Oro Blanco" and "El Bronce".

Fauna

At least 46 birds species are found in the Cáhuil zone, many of them in danger of extinction. Some of them are the Coscoroba Swan
Coscoroba Swan
The Coscoroba Swan is a species of waterfowl inhabiting southern South America. It is the smallest of the birds called "swans", but still a large species of waterfowl, averaging 4.2 kg , 1 m long and 1.57 m across the wings...

, Brown-hooded Gull
Brown-hooded Gull
The Brown-hooded Gull is a species of gull in the Laridae family. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus....

, and White-necked Heron
White-necked Heron
The White-necked Heron, Ardea pacifica also known as the Pacific Heron is found throughout New Guinea and Australia, except for the most arid regions, and is a vagrant to New Zealand....

. The area hosts at least seven silvester duck species.

External links

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