Coyhaique is the capital city both of the Coyhaique Province and the XI Region de Aysen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo of Chile. It is also the capital of the homonymous Commune. Founded in 1929 by settlers, this is a relatively young city. Until the twentieth century, Chile never showed much interest at all in exploiting the hard-to-reach Aysen region. It was not until the second half of the twentieth century that the region's spectacular natural setting began to attract the attention of significant numbers from the outside world. The opening of the Carretera Austral in the 1980s helped put Coyhaique 'on the map'.
Geography
Coyhaique has some of the most beautiful scenery in Patagonia. It is surrounded by rivers (Simpson river and Coyhaique river) and by mountains, which may be snow-covered throughout the year (Coyhaique is sometimes called the city of eternal snow). On some days, it is said, you can experience all four seasons in a single day: rain, snow, wind, and then bright and warm sunshine. Note that Coyhaique is sometimes also spelled "Coihaique."
Politics
Coyhaique's incumbent major is Mr. David Sandoval Plaza (UDI), who served for the 2000-2004 term, and reelected in 2004 for the 2004-2008 term. Hacendados (land owners) are very influential and are well represented on the City Council.
Society and culture
One of the most special things about this city is its town square, which is laid out in the shape of a pentagon in honor of the Carabineros, the national police force (a Carabinero general was one of the town's founders). Just off the main plaza is the Cafe Ricer, a popular gathering spot for locals and visitors, with some of the best coffee and pastries in the city.
The city serves as a regional service center and provides drugstores, supermarkets, gas stations, pubs, gyms, internet cafes, travel agencies, radio stations, a post office, a museum, automobile rental and repair services, hardware stores, book stores, medical support, construction and do-it-yourself stores, and many other similar activities.
People who were raised around Coyhaique might seem a bit unsophisticated, but with the arrival of people from the north of the country and from countries like England, Israel, United States, and other countries, the social and cultural flavors in Coyhaique are evolving. It is now possible to find virtually every kind of people in the city, including North Americans, British, Spanish, Israelis, Chileans, Argentines (many of them from Argentine Patagonia) or native indians, locally referred to as "Indigenos". Most foreigners report that the people in Coyhaique are gracious and willing to help foreigners.
Tourism
The best time to visit Coyhaique is during the months of November through April, when the temperatures are quite moderate. From May until October, temperatures can be comparatively cold, with the possibility of snowfall. Tourists can arrive by a number of means, including by air through the local airport, by sea through ships that dock at Puerto Chacabuco (near Puerto Aysen, about one hour to the west of Coyhaique) and by road. There are two principal border crossing points near Coyhaique to allow entry into Argentina.
Of interest to many foreigners are the "fly fishing lodges" which are located next to rivers or lakes; their services are around USD 1000 - 2000. A full range of simpler lodging is available within the city itself and nearby, though for its location in a rather scenic region, there are comparatively few "deluxe" hotels.
Coyhaique has only one ski resort, called "El Fraile", which possesses 2 ski lifts and a couple of tracks. Lodging in this resort is not available, only private lodging in clubs, like CAE or the Army Lodge.
LAN has three daily flights from Santiago to Balmaceda Airport, located 40 km from Coyhaique. Other airlines also provide services. Connections from Balmaceda airport to points further south in Chile will often require a connection in Puerto Montt.
Hotspots
- Simpson and Coyhaique river, well known rivers for fly fishing
- Piedra del Indio, an Indian shaped rock besides Simpson river
- Happy Stone, a big rock in the middle of a plain where people go to party
External links
Other pages about Capitals of Chilean provinces
-Angol -Antofagasta -Arica, Chile -Castro, Chile -Cauquenes -Chaiten, Chile -Chillan -Colina, Chile -Concepcion, Chile -Copiapo -Coyhaique -Curico -Hanga Roa -Illapel -Iquique -La Union, Chile -Linares, Chile -Los Andes, Chile -Los Angeles -Osorno, Chile -Porvenir -Puerto Aysen, Chile -Puerto Montt, Chile -Puerto Natales -Puerto Williams -Punta Arenas, Chile -Putre -Rancagua -San Antonio, Chile -San Bernardo, Chile -Santiago, Chile -Talca -Temuco -Valdivia, Chile -Valparaiso
Other pages about Capitals of Chilean regions
-Antofagasta -Arica, Chile -Concepcion, Chile -Copiapo -Coyhaique -Iquique -La Serena, Chile -Puerto Montt, Chile -Punta Arenas, Chile -Rancagua -Santiago, Chile -Talca -Temuco -Valdivia, Chile -Valparaiso
Other pages about Cities in Chile
-Ancud -Andacollo -Angol -Antofagasta -Arica, Chile -Calama, Chile -Caldera, Chile -Canete, Chile -Castro, Chile -Cauquenes -Cerrillos, Chile -Cerro Navia -Chanaral -Chillan -Colina, Chile -Collipulli -Concepcion, Chile -Conchali -Concon, Chile -Constitucion, Chile -Copiapo -Coquimbo -Coronel, Chile -Coyhaique -Curacautin -Curico -Cuz Cuz -El Bosque, Chile -El Quisco -El Salvador, Chile -Estacion Central, Chile -Frutillar -Futrono -Gran Valparaiso -Greater Concepcion -Huasco, Chile -Huechuraba -Illapel -Independencia, Chile -Iquique -La Calera, Chile -La Cisterna -La Florida -La Granja, Chile -La Pintana -La Reina -La Serena, Chile -La Union, Chile -Lago Ranco, Chile -Lanco -Las Condes -Linares, Chile -List of cities in Chile -Lo Barnechea -Lo Espejo -Lo Prado -Loncoche -Longavi -Los Andes, Chile -Los Angeles -Los Lagos, Chile -Lota, Chile -Macul -Maipo town -Maipu, Chile -Mejillones -Melipeuco -Melipilla -Mulchen -Nacimiento, Chile -Nueva Tolten -Nunoa -Osorno, Chile -Ovalle, Chile -Paillaco -Panguipulli, Chile -Parral, Chile -Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Chile -Penalolen -Penco -Pichilemu -Porvenir -Providencia, Chile -Pucon -Pudahuel -Puente Alto -Puerto Aysen, Chile -Puerto Montt, Chile -Puerto Natales -Puerto Varas -Punta Arenas, Chile -Purranque -Quellon -Quilicura -Quillota -Quilpue -Quinta Normal -Quintero -Quirihue -Rancagua -Recoleta, Chile -Renaico, Chile -Renca -Retiro, Chile -Rio Bueno, Chile -Rio Negro, Chile -Salamanca, Chile -San Antonio, Chile -San Bernardo, Chile -San Carlos, Chile -San Clemente, Chile -San Felipe, Chile -San Fernando, Chile -San Javier, Chile -San Joaquin -San Jose de la Mariquina, Chile -San Miguel, Chile -San Pedro de la Paz -San Rafael, Chile -San Ramon, Chile -Santa Cruz, Chile -Santiago, Chile -Santo Domingo, Chile -Sewell, Chile -Talca -Talcahuano -Temuco -Teno -Tocopilla -Valdivia, Chile -Vallenar, Chile -Valparaiso -Vicuna, Chile -Villa Alegre, Chile -Villa Alemana -Villarrica, Chile -Vina del Mar -Vitacura
Other pages about Communes of Chile
-Alto Hospicio -Ancud -Andacollo -Angol -Antartica, Chile -Antofagasta -Arica, Chile -Buin, Chile -Calama, Chile -Caldera, Chile -Canete, Chile -Castro, Chile -Cauquenes -Cerrillos, Chile -Cerro Navia -Chaiten, Chile -Chanaral -Chanco, Chile -Chile Chico -Chillan -Chimbarongo -Cobquecura -Cochrane, Chile -Colbun -Colchane -Colina, Chile -Collipulli -Concepcion, Chile -Conchali -Concon, Chile -Constitucion, Chile -Copiapo -Coquimbo -Coronel, Chile -Corral, Chile -Coyhaique -Curacautin -Curanipe -Curarrehue, Chile -Curepto -Curico -Dalcahue -El Bosque, Chile -El Salvador, Chile -Empedrado, Chile -Estacion Central, Chile -Frutillar -Futrono -General Lagos -Hanga Roa -Hualane -Huara -Huasco, Chile -Huechuraba -Illapel -Independencia, Chile -Iquique -La Calera, Chile -La Cisterna -La Florida -La Granja, Chile -La Pintana -La Reina -La Serena, Chile -La Union, Chile -Lago Ranco, Chile -Lampa, Chile -Lanco -Las Condes -Licanten -Limache -Linares, Chile -Lo Barnechea -Lo Espejo -Lo Prado -Lolol -Loncoche -Longavi -Lonquimay -Los Andes, Chile -Los Angeles -Los Lagos, Chile -Los Vilos -Lota, Chile -Macul -Mafil -Maipu, Chile -Maule, Chile -Mejillones -Melipeuco -Melipilla -Molina, Chile -Mulchen -Nacimiento, Chile -Nueva Tolten -Nunoa -Ollague, Chile -Osorno, Chile -Ovalle, Chile -Paillaco -Paine, Chile -Panguipulli, Chile -Parral, Chile -Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Chile -Pelarco -Pelluhue -Penalolen -Pencahue -Penco -Perquenco -Pica, Chile -Pichilemu -Pirque -Porvenir -Pozo Almonte -Primavera, Chile -Providencia, Chile -Pucon -Pudahuel -Puente Alto -Puerto Montt, Chile -Puerto Natales -Puerto Octay -Puerto Varas -Puerto Williams -Punta Arenas, Chile -Puren -Purranque -Putre -Puyehue, Chile -Quellon -Quilicura -Quillota -Quilpue -Quinta Normal -Quintero -Quirihue -Rancagua -Rauco -Recoleta, Chile -Renaico, Chile -Renca -Rengo, Chile -Retiro, Chile -Rio Bueno, Chile -Rio Claro, Chile -Rio Negro, Chile -Romeral -Saavedra, Chile -Sagrada Familia, Chile -Salamanca, Chile -San Antonio, Chile -San Carlos, Chile -San Clemente, Chile -San Fabian, Chile -San Felipe, Chile -San Fernando, Chile -San Javier, Chile -San Joaquin -San Jose de Maipo -San Jose de la Mariquina, Chile -San Miguel, Chile -San Pedro de Atacama -San Pedro de la Paz -San Rafael, Chile -San Ramon, Chile -Santa Cruz, Chile -Santiago, Chile -Santo Domingo, Chile -Talca -Talcahuano -Temuco -Teno -Til-Til -Tocopilla -Valdivia, Chile -Vallenar, Chile -Valparaiso -Vichuquen -Vicuna, Chile -Villa Alegre, Chile -Villa Alemana -Villarrica, Chile -Vina del Mar -Vitacura -Yerbas Buenas -Yumbel
Other pages about Ski areas and resorts in Chile
-Antillanca ski resort -Coyhaique -Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve -Mocho-Choshuenco -Portillo, Chile -Valle Nevado -Villarrica (volcano)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Coyhaique
