Chaitén, Chile

Chaitén is a town in Palena Province, Chile. The town is on the east coast of the Gulf of Corcovado. It covers 8,471 sq km (3,271 sq mi) and until 2008, had a population of some 8,000 people.

The Río Blanco during the eruption of the Chaitén volcano
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:R%C3%ADo_Blanco_y_Chait%C3%A9n_en_erupci%C3%B3n.jpg
Author: Javier Ribilar


The eruption of the Chaitén volcano in May 2008 caused massive destruction to the town of Chaitén. On 5 May, the plume of ash and sulfurous steam forced an evacuation. On 12 May the lahar caused the banks of the Río Blanco to overflow and inundate what remained of the town. By July of that year, it was decided that Chaitén would have to be rebuilt on a different site.

A new site for Chaitén was identified in 2009. It would be about 10 km to the north of its previous location, on a coastal site presently known as Santa Bárbara. However in 2011, President Sebastián Piñera announced that Chaitén would be rebuilt at its original location after all.

Places of Interest in Chaitén

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