The history of the man who conquered Patagonia

At last he was able to cross the most dramatic waters of the world and arrive in Chilean territory. Hernando de Magallanes was a man with big eyes and a leafy beard looking for new lands. It was in 1520 when he found a cracked coastline with snow-capped mountains and infinite lakes and lagoons.... This is Aysén Patagonia, better known as the Carretera Austral, which in the beginning was baptized as the "December Lands".

Three decades later, Hernando de Magallanes himself sent an expedition in charge of Francisco Ulloa, who found not only virgin nature, but indigenous tribes with completely torn eyes, robust bodies and very dark skins called Tehuelches or Patagonians that inhabited the north of the Strait of Magellan.

They were the ones who traveled the Patagonia from north to south, conquering new territories and hunting guanacos, ñandúes and huemules to feed them. You can even find rock art in the famous Cueva de las Manos in the Jeinimeni National Reserve, a place they lived for many years. [JEI001] You can get to know the lunar valley on a half-day tour! [/ JEI001].

On the coast of Aysén, the Alacalufes lived, tribes that called themselves Kaweskar, who navigated in canoes the fjords and channels of Patagonia in search of whales and sea lions.

There was life in this place!

Centuries later the missionary priests arrived, different types of scientific expeditions and Patagonia were gaining importance worldwide. The livestock companies were installed and the spontaneous colonization of people who arrived from Argentina and Chiloé began, bringing their customs to the lands of Aysén. The great majority settled in the surroundings of Coyhaique and in Lake General Carrera, the towns of Puerto Ibañez were born in 1905 and Chile Chico in 1919. If you want to know this area, [ATE001] we recommend you to do this travel program [/ ATE001 ]

This is how the settlers began to open routes and make roads through the burning of forests to raise their animals. In the midst of many conflicts between livestock enterprises and local people, the State had to mediate by dictating policies to regulate the occupation of territories.