Colonia Suiza Overview

By Shanie Matthews

Colonia Suiza is a tiny village that sits on the shores of Lago Moreno Oeste. The town was originally developed in the late 1800s by a group of settlers from Switzerland. The group, a dozen families strong, originally traveled from Canton of Valais, Switzerland to Chile via the Strait of Magellan. Twelve years later, not finding Chile quite to their liking, they moved easterly. During this same time period the Argentine government was offering land to settlers as a means of establishing a presence along the border of Chile. The group was given over 600 hectares and with it created what we now refer to as Colonia Suiza. Today the town resembles Europe with carved log architecture and a “The Sound of Music” mountain setting. The Goye family is the most known around town of the original settlers; the son of the Goye founding father, nearing 90 years old, is still known to make conversation with visitors or help prepare the Curanto. The town is bustling in the summertime with backpackers, families and hippies. Winter is very quiet. A community art and craft fair and Curanto feast are shared every Sunday in the feria plaza. The outdoor amphitheater in the town square hosts live music acts and plays in the summer.