The recent earthquake and tsunami that caused serious damage to the regions of El Maule (seventh region) and Bío-Bío (eighth region), also affected the urban and rural infrastructure of the Región del Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins (sixth region) and the Región Metropolitana (Santiago).
In solidarity with the painful drama which our fellow countrymen are currently enduring in the most severely battered regions, we wish to help relieve the heavy load of rebuilding the nation, by offering some important information to all those of you who make our country a tourist destination.
Chile is geo-politically divided into 14 regions, stretched out along 4,300 kilometres from Arica (in the First Region) to Magallanes (in the Twelfth). The earthquake and tsunami affected an area no larger than the area between Santiago and Temuco (in the Ninth Region), that is to say, roughly only those territories extending 700 kilometres. From Santiago to the north and all those which lie south of Los Angeles, did not suffer any human casualties or material damage.
Within the context of this cataclysm which has so tragically afflicted thousands of Chileans, we have been fortunate enough to have the rest of our territory and its tourist attractions remain absolutely intact.
For all those of you who, from within our country or abroad, have felt in your own hearts the pain of the Chilean people, we urge you not to deepen the wounds left by this natural disaster by cancelling your visit to Chile. Rather, we invite you to come and enjoy the extraordinary beauty of our natural attractions, if you had not already booked it into your schedule.
The best way to truly help those unfortunate people who lost their homes and family in the central area of the country, is to come and visit the hundreds of destinations which have suffered no damage whatsoever. The money left by each tourist in our country will be essential to help fund the reconstruction of the injured territory.
Chilean Patagonia is among those destinations which are especially attractive and safe. Not only did we not feel even a tremor, but it is highly unlikely that this should come to pass; in our recorded history we have had only two noteworthy tremors (7.5 MI): one in 1879 and the last one in 1949.
This is no coincidence or stroke of luck; the fact is that from Puerto Montt to the north, the tectonic plates of Nazca and South America meet, creating a large space of instability in all of that territory, which sadly makes itself manifest in the frequent quakes of various intensities.
Magallanes, however, lies approximately 2000 kilometres south of this unstable union, being in fact situated in an area in which three tectonic plates converge: the extreme southern part of the South American plate, the Antarctic plate and the smaller Scotia plate, creating a configuration of significant seismic stability.
Therefore, once again, we would like to extend our invitation to visit Magallanes, the Chilean Patagonia, where you can be sure of reaching a destination of unparalleled beauty, wild landscapes, glaciers, colonies of birds and mammals, which is perfectly safe for any visitor.
All of you who decide to come, especially now, will know that besides enjoying a region of exceptional natural attractions, you will be contributing to help those thousands of citizens who lost everything in the earthquake and tsunami.
