Maullín River (Spanish: Río Maullín) is a
river of Chile located in the
Los Lagos Region. The river originates as the outflow of
Llanquihue Lake, and flows generally southwestward, over a number of small waterfalls, emptying into the Gulf of Coronados.[3] The lower course of the river is a tidal
estuary. The wetlands of Maullín stand out for their diversity of aquatic birds when compared to other locations of the Chilean coast.[4] In the estuary Laguna Quenuir is the place known to have the largest diversity of bird fauna.[4]
History
Franciscan Friar Francisco Alvarez Villanueva mention in 1780 Maullín River as the limit between the Spanish possessions and the "
Cunco nation" to the north.[5]
The river was first explored extensively in 1856 and 1857 by the
Chilean Navy officers
Francisco Hudson and
Francisco Vidal Gormaz.[6] The area around Llanquihue Lake was settled in the second half of the 19th century by
German immigrants, who received land from the government in a scheme to encourage settlement in this area.[7]