Salmon farms go on show as Chile tests new tourism push.
Wine tours have had their moment. Now it’s salmon’s turn.
Tourists from Brazil and Argentina have become the first to try Chile’s new “Salmon Route”, a pilot scheme turning the country’s vast aquaculture industry into a full-blown visitor experience.
The tour begins at an AquaChile base near Puerto Montt, before visitors are ferried out to sea to inspect a working salmon farm in the Reloncaví Sound, where around 50,000 fish are being raised for export.
From there, the experience pivots sharply from industry to indulgence.
Guests are taken to nearby Maillen Island, where local chefs serve up salmon in multiple forms, from ceviche to grilled fillets and empanadas, paired with regional ingredients such as apple cider, seaweed and shellfish.
The initiative, backed by the Puerto Montt municipality along with industry, academia and local groups, is being pitched as the aquaculture equivalent of Chile’s established wine routes.
Officials say the aim is to reposition salmon not just as an export commodity but as a cultural and tourism asset.
The pilot programme will run an initial series of 10 tours, as organisers test demand and refine the format.
Chile is the world’s second-largest producer of farmed salmon, and the sector is a major economic driver in the Los Lagos region. Opening farm sites to visitors marks a shift toward greater public engagement, as the industry faces ongoing scrutiny over environmental impacts.