A 45 minute trip due west of Ancuda takes you to the Pacific Ocean and the 3 islets of Puinhuil, the Penguin capital of the area. The islands are so close to shore that you can almost swim to them. An entire community of local guides lives on the beach to boat tourists around the islands which are covered in penguins. It is the only place in the world where Magellan and Humboldt penguins live together.
The penguins take it all in stride, as if the boatload of people is being brought to them, for their amusement. They stop and check out each boat to evaluate the latest tour group. Whales, seals, black necked swans, and otters are also part of the tour, depending on the time you are there.
As enchanting as the tour is, the scenery in that area is the most beautiful of any in the world. Looking across the green hills to the ocean below was a visceral experience for me. I kept thinking "I must live here!" With the exchange rate of 1 US dollar equal to 500 Chilean Pesos, I might be able to afford it. Since no one speaks English my 20 words of Spanish would have to expand to a full vocabulary out of necessity.
The cold reality though, is just that - the cold. My visit was in the middle of their summer and it was chilly. The mountain range that runs down the center of the main island protects all the towns on the east side of the island, but this area is on an unprotected bluff overlooking the Pacific. I can only imagine how brutal the winters are there.
That's my practical voice, but my heart tells me that I can't forget that area. Perhaps a winter visit will tell me that it's not as cold as I predict. I can always dream...
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