On the western coast of the Great Island of Chiloé, battered by the winds of the Pacific and enveloped in the magic of its green landscapes and rugged cliffs, stands a structure that transcends its physical form to become a portal to the unknown: the Pier of Souls (Muelle de las Almas). This sculpture, the work of artist Marcelo Orellana Rivera, is not just a piece of art placed in a location of natural beauty; it is the materialization of one of the most moving and deeply rooted legends of Chilote mythology: the story of the Souls of Cucao (Ánimas de Cucao) and their encounter with the ferryman Tempilkawe.
Ancient tradition in Chiloé tells that, upon taking their last breath, the soul of the deceased embarks on an invisible journey towards the coast of Cucao. It is at this point, where today the wooden pier juts out into the ocean, that the souls gather, eager to cross the threshold to their eternal rest. The legend speaks of a mysterious being, Tempilkawe, the ferryman of souls. It is said that this enigmatic man possesses a raft made of sea foam, light and ethereal, capable of navigating the turbulent waters that separate the world of the living from the realm of the dead.
The Souls of Cucao, according to belief, arrive at this meeting point and call out for Tempilkawe’s presence. Their laments, although inaudible to mortal ears, resonate in the sea breeze and in the crashing of waves against the rocks. Only Tempilkawe, with his special sensitivity to the spiritual world, can hear their calls and come to their aid. It is said that he navigates stealthily through the morning mist or under the starry cloak of night, his foam raft gliding gently over the dark waters.
The journey on Tempilkawe’s raft is the final passage for these souls. They embark in silence, carrying with them the echoes of their earthly lives, their joys and their sorrows. The ferryman, with his serene countenance and deep gaze, guides them through the invisible currents, towards a final destination where they will find peace. The legend does not detail the exact place of their rest, leaving it shrouded in the mystery of the afterlife, but the promise of an end to the journey is what drives the souls to reach the coast of Cucao.
The Pier of Souls, with its ascending structure that seems to want to reach the horizon, symbolizes precisely this transit, this elevation from the earthly world to the spiritual. Walking on its timbers weathered by wind and salt is to evoke this ancestral journey, to feel the invisible presence of the souls that once waited in this very place. The panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, with its immensity and its mystery, reinforces the feeling of being on a threshold, at a point of connection between two worlds.
The recognition this place has gained, highlighted by international media, is not only due to its scenic beauty but also to the power of the legend that permeates it. Visiting the Pier of Souls is to enter the heart of Chilote mythology, to feel the presence of Tempilkawe and the Souls of Cucao in every whisper of the wind, in every wave that breaks against the shore. It is an encounter with an ancestral tradition that remains alive in the imagination of the people of Chiloé, a reminder of the deep connection between the world of the living and the mystery of the afterlife.
