A gorgeous blue sky day for exploring Isla Mancera
Isla Mancera is the only island in Bahia de Corral at the entrance of the Valdivia River. Just two or three nautical miles downriver from Madrone’s winter home, it’s an easy dinghy ride from the marina to the island.
We tied up the dinghy and went on foot to check out the island
The area around Valdivia marks the southernmost frontier of the old Viceroyalty of Peru, Spain’s imperial district in South America. The original settlement was founded by the Spaniards in the mid-1500s, and the bay of Corral was considered a strategically important site for the southern coast of Chile. To defend the entrance to Valdivia, the Spaniards built a series of 10 fortifications around the bay, including the large one on Isla Mancera.
Because of coronavirus the fort was closed, but we checked out the walls and enjoyed walking around the island
Like the rest of the world, much of Chile is shut down right now, including the fort. But we enjoyed a warm and sunny afternoon walking around the island anyway and had it nearly all to ourselves.
