Beach between Loanco and Faro Carranza
January is a most colorful and productive time in the coastal area of central Chile where the two poor but proud villages of Chanco and Loanco by some stroke of fate find themselves. The long beach that runs between the poor fishing vilage of Loanco all the way up to the foot of the Carranza lighthouse can be a seafood gatherers paradise, occasionally giving up to the alert beachcomber edible seaweed called ulte and cochayuyo, large mussels called cholgas, abelone called locos, sea urchins called erizos and delicious remadora crabs. These, combined with fried or grilled filets of sea bass called corvina and hake called merluza, are a seafood lover’s dream.
Chanco is a sleepy town just 25 kilometers to the south of Loanco, and though it is right by the sea,is a mostly agriculture town. One small store in town sells the ubiquitous Chanco cheese, although most Chanco cheese sold in Chile comes from somewhere else. Chanco’s Sunday farmers market in the streets of town is a show of healthy eating. This area of Maule is known for its onions, garlic, peppers, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, and during certain times of the year huge, flavorful strawberries. Of course they sell lemons, essential for pisco sours.
The best way to describe what both places provide is through pictures, pictures we took a couple of weeks ago during a visit to that lovely part of rural, coastal Chile….enjoy!
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Posted on February 5, 2012, in Santiago, Chile.
David Joslyn, after a 45-year career in international development with USAID, Peace Corps, The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and private sector consulting firms, divides his time between his homes in Virginia and Chile. Since 2010, David has been writing about Chile and Chileans, often based upon his experience with the Peace Corps in Chile and his many travels throughout the country with family and friends.