San Juan de la Costa


San Juan de la Costa is a commune of Chile, located in the Osorno Province in the Los Lagos Region. The administration is located at the hamlet of Puaucho, 34 km west of Osorno. San Juan de la Costa is known for its large population of indigenous Huilliches. This commune is characterized by a large coastline suitable for ecotourism, especially balnearios Pucatrihue and Maicolpue, the port of Bahía Mansa, and the ethnic tourism of the Huilliche culture.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, San Juan de la Costa spans an area of and has 8,831 inhabitants. Of these, 902 lived in urban areas and 7,929 in rural areas. The population fell by 9.7% between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

Administration

As a commune, San Juan de la Costa is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Javier Oyarzo Ruiz.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, San Juan de la Costa is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Javier Hernández and Sergio Ojeda as part of the 55th electoral district,. The commune is represented in the Senate by Camilo Escalona Medina and Carlos Kuschel Silva as part of the 17th senatorial constituency.