Located 152 km from Puerto Montt, 74 km from Ancud and 25 km from Castro on the littoral interior that runs to the gulf of Ancud. It serves as a ferry port for ferries going to Quinchao, and it has around 8,000 inhabitants.

It grew in size during the rise of the timber and cattle industries at the end of the 19th Century, and was the site of the 2nd mechanized sawmill in South America.

Its name originates from the Dalcas, the ships made of three pieces of wood tight together that Chonos People used for transportation.