Tongoy

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Tongoy is a Chilean coastal town in the commune of Coquimbo in Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region. It is located 42 km (26 mi) to the south of Chile's second oldest city, La Serena, next to Guanaqueros beach, on a rocky promontory opposite the Pacific Ocean, between the beaches of Socos (4 km) and Grande (26 km), to the north of the Talinay Mountain range.

Tongoy's geographical coordinates are 30°15′27″S 71°29′33″W / 30.25750°S 71.49250°W / -30.25750; -71.49250 and, according to a 2002 census conducted by the National Statistics Institute, has a population of 4,435 inhabitants. Tongoy's residential areas are divided into two areas: the Peninsula, a zone of summer houses, called popularly "La Isla" ("The Island") and the Pueblo Bajo (Low Village), where the majority of permanent inhabitants reside.

Tongoy's most famous former resident is the late poet Víctor Domingo Silva, referred to as "el poeta nacional" ("the national poet"). The house where he was born and lived is situated opposite the former local school. A large public park named after Silva, is located in the highest area of the peninsula. The park offers a good vantage point from which to view the bay and surrounding areas.

History

The town's name comes from the word Tongoy which in

Until the mid-1970s it was possible to find arrowheads and other artifacts of indigenous pottery; specially in the contiguous dunes of Playa Grande ("Great Beach"), in the direction of Puerto Aldea ("Aldea Port").

During colonial times, the Bay of Tongoy was a place of welcome for hundreds of small fishermen,

Tongoy's economy relies heavily on the

The majority of Tongoy's residents work seasonally, during the heavy tourist trade period occurring annually between January and February. Another large source of local employment is in the seafood factories which package and export a variety of fish and shellfish products, chiefly using sole, turbot, eastern oyster and macha (Mesodesma donacium a surf clam peculiar to Chile). The agro-industrial sector is concentrated in the Hacienda el Tangue area of Tongoy (250 inhabitants), next to the village of Puerto Aldea (50 inhabitants).

Puerto Aldea is the site of an ancient

Administrative designation

Prior to 1894, Tongoy was an autonomous commune, however in 1929 it was incorporated into the Department (an administrative division) of Ovalle. During the 1970s, during a regionalization redistricting campaign, Tongoy was integrated into the Province of Elqui, thus becoming part of the commune of Coquimbo. At present, Today Tongoy remains a part of the Commune of Coquimbo, and it is technically administered as a delegación municipal (municipal delegation).

Recent history

During January, 2006, Chile's undersecretary of Regional Development, Adriana Delpiano, announced that "no veía con malos ojos a Tongoy como comuna" (she looked favorably on making Tongoy a discrete commune). Soon thereafter, Chile's President, Ricardo Lagos announced a government project that would create the Commune of Tongoy, granting the Tongoy area long-sought autonomy by administratively separating it from Coquimbo. But as of 2012 no significant progress has been made in that direction.

In September 2015 a

• Playa Socos: a 4.8 kilometer white sand beach.
• Playa Grande: an extensive beach running 26 kilometers along Chile's coast.
• Humedales de Pachingo (also called Tongoy): an undeveloped area protected by the Chile's Ministry of National Assets as a government protected nature preserve under the international Ramsar Convention.^[2] It is considered an excellent spot for birdwatching.
• Poet, Víctor Domingo Silva's home, where he was born and lived for many years.
• Víctor Domingo Silva Park: Located at the top of the peninsula, from which grand views of the area are possible. In its highest part there is a statue of the
  Baby Jesus
  crowned by a cross.
• Hacienda el Tangue: a country estate collectivized during Chile's agrarian reform movement. It is administered by an efficient growers' co-operative and produces various cheeses, among other agricultural products.
• Puerto Aldea: A small, quaint village located to the south of Playa Grande.
• World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO
  .
• Conchales de Pachingo: an area with abundant
  mollusc
  shells.
• Puerto Velero and Playa Blanca: hotel complexes and rental departments located at the head of Socos beach, which provide a variety of attractions and services for tourists.

• Letsgochile.com Tongoy Mapudungún translation
• International Congress of Parasitology (2006). Abstract of Infestation of the surf clam Mesodesma donacium by the worm Polydora bioccipitalis in northern Chile. By Dr. Jürgen Laudien. Retrieved April 28, 2006.
• Latin America Working Group Education Fund (2003). Exercise: UNITAS. Retrieved April 29, 2006.
• Gotolatin (TM) 2000. Bosque Fray Jorge National Park. Retrieved April 29, 2006.
• www.lun.com (2006). Espir Aguad, el misterioso hombre que regala asados en Tongoy. Retrieved April 29, 2006.

External links

• Tongoy tourism website showing maps of the area and detailing tourist attractions and lodgings. (in Spanish)
• National wildlife website detailing nature and birdwatching in Tongoy. (in Spanish)
• Commercial website of a major Tongoy seafood producer.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tongoy.