Dichato
| Dichato | ||
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Coordinates: 36 ° 33 ′ S , 72 ° 56 ′ W Dichato on the map of Chile
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| Basic data | ||
| Country | Chile | |
| region | Bío-Bío | |
| City foundation | 1826 | |
| Residents | 3488 (2002) | |
| Detailed data | ||
| surface | 1.38 km² | |
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Dichato is a coastal town in the municipality of Tomé , Región del Bío-Bío , Chile . The village is 37 kilometers north of the city of Concepción and has 3,488 inhabitants according to the 2002 census.
The place is located on a sheltered bay with calm but cold water, which is suitable for water sports and is very popular in summer. It has numerous restaurants specializing in fish and seafood and a diverse range of hotels, which are mainly used in summer despite being open all year round. During the rest of the year, the main production activity of the village is artisanal fishing, which is still done in picturesque boats.
Dichato was badly affected by the earthquake and tsunami of February 27, 2010 , especially on the flat plain of the village, the tremendous force of the sea destroyed everything that was in the way.
Origin of the place name
The word Dichato comes from the indigenous Mapuche language (original: "Düchantu") as the name of a prickly bush and means abundant happiness. According to other theories, the name comes from the words “dücha” (translated: happiness) and “ko” (translated: water) or from “dëchatun” (translated: to be lucky). The "dichas" (in German: miracle flower plants - from the word "dichon" in the Mapudungun language colloquial term for various plants with sharp leaves or fruits that grow in Chile) are the name for various herbs of the family of "nictigináceas", which contains about 350 species divided into 38 genera. They are characterized by their leaves with straight edges opposite the stems and the flowers have no petals.
history
In 1826 José Miguel Reyes, who is considered the founder of Dichato, settled here.
On April 17, 1835, the naturalist Charles Darwin set off with the Beagle from the Bay of Concepción and headed for the Bay of Coliumo, where Dichato is located. There he examined coal seams and found fossils . In 1856, Juan Mackay initiated coal mining at the Coliumo mine. Seven years later, Francisco Chávez entered into partnership with the Belgian engineer Eduardo Lemaitre and they acquired the mining rights to the property "El Molino" (in English: the mill) located near Dichato, but the mining did not bring the hoped-for success. Between 1910 and 1920 the mine was rented to Vicente Alberto Palacios. Lautaro Rozas later founded the “Kohlebbau Dichato Aktiengesellschaft”, which bought the rights from Pantaleón Reyes, Casimiro Vera, Fernando González and José María Henríquez. Coal mining fell into disrepair after the 1939 earthquake, before the Coronel and Lota mines were built .
One of the most important landowners in Dichato in the late nineteenth century was the mine owner Daniel Vera, who divided his properties among his children: Casimiro Vera Celedón (born 1871), was the first known poet, author of quartets, epigrams and the text “La Pastora del Pingueral ”(in German: The Shepherdess of Pingueral) inherited Dichato and the“ Villarrica ”sector. The sister Nestorina Vera inherited the properties further north as well as the beaches "Burca" and "Purema". The main street of the city is named after Daniel Vera, crosses the city in a north-south direction and includes the town square adjacent to the sidewalk of the street. The gym also bears the same name.
Between 1916 and the beginning of the 1990s, Dichato was also accessible via the Ramal Rucapequén-Concepción rail link. Many holidaymakers from Chillán arrived with this means of transport . Regular passenger transport was discontinued in the 1980s, but sporadic special journeys were maintained for a few years longer.
In 2005 the sewage system was built and in 2007 the sewage treatment plant was built to prevent contamination of the bay.
The earthquakes of 2010 and 2011
The earthquakes in 2010 destroyed 80% of the village of Dichato and damaged fishing, gastronomy and the hotel industry. Numerous boats were washed ashore in populated areas. The tsunami flooded 80 hectares of the village and the tidal wave reached heights of up to 4 meters.
A year later, the Japan earthquake and tsunami caused intense seas on the coast of Dichato, Constitución y Coliumo , tearing boats away and damaging some houses.
The rebuilding of Dichato
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From 2011 to 2013, the reconstruction was carried out by Dichato, which is part of the coastal region's reconstruction plan promoted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, which included 18 sites affected by the 2010 earthquake in Chile. The work carried out included the expropriation of the land on the first line of the bank to widen the road and create a "mitigation park" as a prevention against a future tsunami. A coastal protection wall with a length of 800 meters and a pedestrian path was built. Around 600 houses were also rebuilt, some of them in higher areas and further away from the sea, others on stilts. The main street was redesigned and the boulevard "Daniel Vera" was built.
administration
Dichato belongs to the municipality of Tomé. Since 2007, a group of local leaders and residents have come together to create the Dichato commune. During 2014, the feasibility of reallocating Dichato and Lirquén in municipalities was again assessed. The petition, which has not yet been approved, has had more political support since 2015.
economy
The main source of income for the residents of Dichato is fishing. It involves artisanal fishing for fish and seafood, which are marketed locally. In addition, marine concessions, called “management areas”, have been established where concholepas concholepas , oysters and mussels are grown.
Since the 1980s, tourism has gained in importance through leisure services, restaurants with typical dishes and accommodation in small hotels, residential complexes and private cabins.
tourism
Tourism in this place has developed over the past two decades with the opening of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. But the real estate projects for the construction of high-rise buildings with apartments also contributed to this. Without a doubt the largest project is the Pingueral private complex.
Pingueral
Pingueral is a private residential development on Homónima Beach north of Dichato. For years, access was restricted to homeowners in the settlement, but that changed in early 2009 when instructions from the Chilean government required compliance with existing laws guaranteeing free access to the beaches.
education
At this location is the Dichato Marine Biology Station, which is part of the University of Concepcion and was opened on November 20, 1978. It houses scientific research facilities and the scientific research boat “Kay-Kay”.
Mode of Transport
Dichato can be reached by a paved road ( route CH-150 ) that connects Concepción and Tomé. Another access road from the north leads from Coelemu and Boca del Itata over a gravel road to the village. Dichato has a bus service with high frequency in summer, which creates connections to Tomé and Concepción, in addition to the shared taxis going to Tomé . However, in winter they only travel at a much lower frequency.
swell
- ^ Saavedra Villegas, Rolando. "Visión histórica y geográfica de Tomé". Ediciones Perpelén. Pp. 196 (2006)
- ↑ The Mapungun language in DRAE
- ^ Saavedra Villegas, Rolando. "Panorama histórico de Tomé. Siglos XVI a XIX. Antecedentes geográficos y miscelánea comunal" (1984) Pp.69
- ↑ Jorquera, Luis Andrés. "Tomé: Su historia y vida cotidiana". Tomo 3. (1979) pp. 223-226
- ↑ The Chilean government lifts tsunami warning in large parts of the country. March 12, 2011, Retrieved May 5, 2017 (Spanish).
- ↑ a b Positive assessment of the information meeting on the legal aspects of converting Dichato into a commune. November 6, 2016, accessed February 15, 2015 (Spanish).
- ↑ The possibility of converting dichato and lirquen into municipalities is assessed. January 11, 2014, archived from the original on January 10, 2014 ; Retrieved January 11, 2014 (Spanish).
- ^ Circular from the University of Concepción
Web links
- The place Dichato (Spanish)
- Municipal Office of Tomé (Spanish) ( Memento of June 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- Dichato by day (Spanish) ( Memento from May 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- Pingueral