Chile's
Simple Pleasures
Horcon ~ by Jon
Steele
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| I’ve
written alot about Chile over the past year in many articles. I have written
about Vina Del Mar as well as Valparaiso but those are the big named coastal
cities. This time around I want to concentrate on smaller areas. This particular
article will focus on Horcon.
To begin with,
it’s pronounced Or-Cone. It’s a tiny coastal town, almost a village if
you will, but very picturesque. If you’re an avid photographer, amateur
or otherwise, then this little town is a photographer's dream. Horcon is
just about 30 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Vina Del Mar.
It’s a tiny fishing village and beach town.
You can find
great arts and crafts here like anywhere else in Chile but the items you’ll
find here are really unique. Horcon is reminiscent of Santa Cruz, California
or any of the beach towns that line the coast of California. It's laid
back and the local culture is very hippie influenced. You’ll see so many
of the locals with braided hair and beads, not to mention the occasional
tie died shirt and even dreadlocks! |
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The
road through the center of Horcon
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It’s a town
that makes its living from two things: fishing and tourists. Mostly the
renting of quiet cabana's to tourists looking to "get away from it all".
The ironic thing about this town is that literally everywhere you go there’s
a "for rent" (Se Arriendo) sign hanging. Here you can rent a cabana or
just a room or "piezas" as they’re locally referred to. What's even more
amazing is you can literally knock on just about any door in town and ask
the occupants if they have a room to rent and nine times out of ten they’ll
say yes.
If you’re looking
for big sights here there are none. If you’re looking for big attractions
or museums you will equally not find those here either. (There is a beautiful
public garden you can enjoy though). This town is for those people that
love the ocean and beautiful views at sunset. If you’re looking to truly
rest and relax and work on your tan you can do no better than Horcon.
There are a
few bars and some restaurants all boasting how they have the best seafood
in town, but then remember this is a town that makes its living by the
sea, so just about every restaurant has great food and the fish is of course
fresh as the catch of the day.
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A Cabaña
near the beach in Horcon
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The beaches
are lined with the many little boats and dingies that the local fisherman
use to make their catches, as well as being loaded with people enjoying
the cool air and sun. There's nothing like having a margarita in a small
tavern or open air bar fronting the ocean. It's truly a place where Jimmy
Buffet would feel at home!
The houses
that outline the area are typical beach houses you would find in any coastal
town, small and run down but with so much character and style. The old
houses remind me of the area surrounding Coney Island. Old wooden houses
weathered and worn but that say so much. I walked around taking photos
of them all remarking to myself how picture postcard they looked.
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The
locals are a curious people, who only care about the sun by day and a cold
beer at night. No one is in a rush for anything and in this little village
it’s almost as if time has stopped. Life is simple and that’s how everyone
wants it. They shun the big cities like Santiago and are content to have
their own little private world here.
There’s one
main road that comes into Horcon and it pretty much has everything on this
one road. You can find housing accommodations as well as stores and restaurants.
Some of the accommodations are pretty swanky and some are downright run
down but there’s definitely a living situations for any and all.
I can see in
the future this could become a whole new spring break haven and I’m really
hoping it doesn’t happen anytime soon as I see it ruining the charm and
mysticism of the place. For those of you who are thinking it, the answer
is yes, there’s land for sale in the immediate area. There’s also land
for rent. This is land that you can rent for any period of time to put
a trailer on or lease with an option to buy. Most of the available land
is about ten minutes from the center of town or village rather. |
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Level and
mostly dirt surrounded by many trees, a resourceful man could easily build
a cabin or cabana and live well or rent it out and make a living. I see
potential everywhere I look but this place is not for everyone, only those
souls seeking true peace and quiet from a fast paced existence.
I immediately
fell in love with Horcon and could easily see myself living there. It’s
paradise but then isn't any place next to the beach paradise? Speaking
of paradise Horcon was once billed by Chileans as the "Gay Paradise" as
it had such a high number of gay and lesbian people in the community and
this was due to the acceptance factor. Everyone is allowed to be who they
are or who they want to be in Horcon.
You feel an
instant feeling of freedom here and you can see in the faces of the locals
as well as those that come to visit.
Now, again
I want to stress Horcon is very small, we’re talking literally a one road
town. In fact there is one road in and one road out, and it has not become
overrun with tourists. In fact most don’t know of its existence and I have
to admit, I’ve lived in Santiago a long time but I had to be initiated
by a friend who took me there. He wanted to show me the beauty and the
simplicity of the place, and it truly was just that, simple beauty.
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was almost hard to believe that just a few miles up the road were the bright
lights of Vina with the tumblin’ dice of the casino and the crowds of tourists
and people wanting to be in the "cool spot". If you get tired of the glamour
and pace of Vina and Valparaiso you can always find real people in Horcon.
Parking is
a bit rough and that’s due to the small size of the village. It may be
necessary to park aways up the road and walk down the hill that bottoms
out onto the beach. You can try parking in the beachfront parking “lot”
as I did but you may find it pretty cramped and hard to get out when you
decide you want to leave.
Growing up
outside of San Francisco, the waterfront and piers were all second homes
for me, and being in Horcon reminded of being on Fisherman's Warf. Yes,
the place is small in comparison but the character of the place, the narrow
alleys, the run down beach houses and the little boats that lined the shore
like a colorful quilt, all reminded me of the Warf. It has the same feel,
the same look and anyone who has been to the Warf and who goes to Horcon
would agree. |
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Boats
on the shore of Horcon
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On page 32
of my free photobook on Chile, which you can download at my website, www.travelogue.uk.tt,
you can see a great photo of the boats that line the shore and it will
give you feel for what this little village is all about.
If you’re looking
to just get away from it all or just disappear and start your life over,
you can definitely do that here. There are many people that decide they
want to leave the rush of city life in Santiago and many make their way
to Horcon. Once there, most will tell you in a heartbeat that they have
no intention of ever going back to the city.
Many fish or
make their livings selling handmade wares such as beaded necklaces, unusual
rings and body art but almost all seem to be happy and enjoying a simple
life. If a simple life is what you seek, then Horcon could be your ticket!
The following
is a list of articles that Jon has written for the magazine:
 Life
In Chile ~ Learning
The Fine Details Of Survival
Living
In Chile ~ Part
II
Chile,
The Ultimate Adventure - Traveling
Through The Beaches And Coastal Areas
Exploring
Possibilities In Europe ~ Learning
The Essentials
Europe
~ Explorations
Felixstowe
- On
The Coast Of England
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| Jon Steele
has
written several articles for Escape Artist ezine. Most of his past articles
are on living in Chile and day to day life there. He encourages people
to escape their mundane lives in the u.s. and shows how it can be done.
He splits his time between Europe and South America and can be contacted
directly at steel-industries@email.com
and his website is at www.travelogue.uk.tt |
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