Isla Negra (Spanish: ''Black Island'') is a coastal area in El Quisco commune in central

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

, some 45 km (70 km by road) south of Valparaiso and 96 km (110 km by road) west of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

Pablo Neruda

Isla Negra was the residence of Chilean poet

Pablo Neruda Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...

, who lived there at Casa de Isla Negra (with long periods of travel and exile) from 1939 until his death in 1973. The area was named by Neruda, after the dark outcrop of rocks just offshore. The Casa de Isla Negra is now a museum. Every year on Neruda's birthday (12 July), there are celebrations, both at the house and in the artisans' square nearby. There are poetry readings, music and picnics on the beach.

Community

Although most tourists come in buses to see Neruda's house, there is also a community of writers, artists and artisans who live in Isla Negra and the surrounding area. It is a favourite holiday spot for middle-class families from Santiago. As of 2024 the group ''Bordadoras de Isla Negra'' - its creation encouraged by Eduardo Martinez Bonati - were exhibited at the Venice Biennal
[3
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/nowiki>heir embroidery style is naive, but colorful and showed and tried to document the life on this island.

References

Populated places in San Antonio Province Populated coastal places in Chile Pablo Neruda Coasts of Valparaíso Region {{Valparaíso-geo-stub