| Caleta Tortel | |
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| View of Caleta Tortel with its wooden walkways | |
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Caleta Tortel
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Aisén |
| Province | Capitán Prat |
| Municipalidad | Tortel |
| Comuna | Tortel |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipalidad |
| • Alcalde | Bernardo López Sierra |
| Population (2002 census[1]) | |
| • Total | 320 |
| Time zone | Chilean Standard (UTC-4 hours) |
| • Summer (DST) | Chilean Daylight (UTC-3 hours) |
| Area code(s) | Country + town = 56 + ? |
| Website | http://www.municipalidaddetortel.cl/ |
Caleta Tortel is a coastal village (Spanish: aldea) in Chile. It is the administrave center of the commune of Tortel and is located between the mouth of the Baker River and a small embayment of the Baker Channel. The surrounding geography is rugged, formed by a number of islands, fjords, channels and estuaries. The village was founded in 1955 to exploit the cypress (Pilgerodendron uviferum) wood that was abundant in the area. The timber business accounts for most of the economy in Tortel to this day. For most of its history the village had only air and boat access; the road was constructed only in 2003.
Caleta Tortel consists mainly of stilt houses, typical of Chilota architecture, built along the coast for several kilometers. There are no conventional streets - instead there are wooden walkways. This gives the village its distinctive look.
There is one school in Caleta Tortel. Called La Escuela Comandante Luis Bravo Bravo, it runs up to 8th grade and has about 90 students total.
Boat tours to Jorge Montt Glacier and other places are available from the village. The village is served by a nearby Río Bravo Airport; the airstrip is 600m long and 23m wide.