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Neruda's Seaside Home

The incessant crash of the waves against black rocks led Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda to select this place as the backdrop of his most famous home. Many of those who visit this area come to learn more about this Chilean legend, who lived here in the 1940s.

The arrival is deceptive. Though it is located just off the highway, you'll have to follow winding dirt roads to reach the enormous house/museum, which is flanked by tall pine trees. Currently administered by the Neruda Foundation, its more than 500 square meters contain many of the fascinating items that the poet collected: figureheads that once graced the bows of ships, masks of all kinds, bottles, photographs, boxes containing strange insects and butterflies, Latin American pottery, carved figures from Easter Island, clocks, navigational instruments, maps of the world and conch shells of all shapes and sizes.

In the house's garden, you'll find a bell tower, a boat, a fountain, and the tombs of Pablo Neruda and his last wife, Matilde Urrutia, which look out onto the sea.

It's easy to get to Neruda's house, but if you get lost you can ask any of the locals where to find it. Neruda has become the great icon of this town, which is part of the municipality of El Tabo, 111 km west of Santiago.

The spirit of the poet, who passed away shortly after the 1973 military coup, lives on here. You can find murals depicting Neftalí Reyes (his real name), small crafts fairs with paintings of the bard and restaurants with seafood dishes named in honor of his best-known verses.

Isla Negra also offers a small beach with a view of the open-air bell tower at Neruda's home. To the north, you'll come across an enormous rock formation facing the Pacific and its large waves. This area is called Punta de Tralca, and it is a popular destination for spiritual retreats. Further south you'll find the popular resort town of El Tabo, where you can find gas stations and banks that are open year-round.

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