Palena Province (Provincia de Palena)
Historically, Chaiten was the provincial capital. Due to the eruption of Chaitén Volcano and the subsequent destruction of that town, Futaleufú was named the new provincial capital in March 2009. Major tourist attractions in Palena Province include the Pumalín Park, one of the largest established wilderness protection areas in the world, Yelcho Lake, and the Futaleufu River. Pumalin was the dream of the late US philanthropist and environmental activist Douglas Tompkins, it is nowadays called the Pumalin Douglas Tompkins national park after its founder. The park has excellent infrastructure for camping and is divided into two parts by the Huinay Ranch. Yelcho Lake is considered a prime destination for fly fishing. The Futaleufu River is considered by specialized media to be one of the three greatest whitewater runs in the world.
Due to its location in front of Chiloé Island Palena Province is sometimes called Continental Chiloé (Chiloé Continental). Palena Province is named after the Palena Lake, which in turn was named by the Italian Jesuit Nicolás Mascardi after the town of Palena in Abruzzo, Italy.
As a province, Palena is a second-level administrative division, governed by a provincial governor appointed by the president. The province comprises four communes, each governed by a municipality, headed by an alcalde.
Map - Palena Province (Provincia de Palena)
Map
Country - Chile
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
CLP | Chilean peso | $ | 0 |
CLF | Unidad de Fomento | 4 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
ES | Spanish language |