Muelle de las Almas, Wooden pier on Pacific cliffs in Chiloé, Chile
Muelle de las Almas is a wooden pier at a coastal cliff in the Gulf of Cucao that extends from the edge about 70 meters above the ocean. The structure reaches roughly 17 meters out into the sea and ends suspended in open air with no boat or other destination to reach.
An artist created this installation in 2007 as a thesis project with support from an arts funding program. The structure was originally designed as a temporary artistic work but later became a permanent feature of the place.
Local beliefs in Chiloé associate this place with Tempilcahue, the mythical ferryman of the afterlife in traditional folklore. The wooden structure embodies this spiritual idea in a way that visitors can experience directly as they walk across the planks.
The pier is reached by walking on a marked trail from a parking area located some kilometers away. The hike takes about two hours and passes through forest and open meadows, so weatherproof clothing and sturdy shoes are helpful.
The wooden planks appear to dissolve into the ocean when you walk on them, especially in certain light and weather conditions. This visual effect occurs because of the perspective and the way waves and sky merge together.
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