Chiloé Island
An island of legends and mists where the wooden churches are three centuries old, where houses grow on stilts and where Humboldt and Magellanic penguins nest side by side.
Suggested stay — 2 to 3 nights
Thirty minutes of ferry from Pargua, and the continent fades: Chiloé lives on its own clock, between mythology (the Trauco, the Pincoya, the ghost ship Caleuche), curanto steamed under the earth and sixteen UNESCO-listed wooden churches — masterpieces of naval carpentry raised without a single nail, whose painted façades at Achao, Tenaún or Chonchi punctuate the road like beacons. Castro, the capital, lines up its palafitos, boldly coloured stilt houses, above the tides.
The Pacific coast provides the wild counterpoint: at the Puñihuil islets, near Ancud, Humboldt and Magellanic penguins share the same colonies — unique in the world, seen by boat from September to March — and at the end of the Cucao road, the trail to the Muelle de las Almas (the pier of souls) drops towards the cliffs in an end-of-the-world setting. Two to three nights, island rhythm compulsory.
Don't miss
- Castro's palafitos (viewed from Gamboa) and the Dalcahue market
- Two or three UNESCO churches: Achao, Tenaún, Chonchi or San Francisco de Castro
- The Puñihuil penguins by boat (September-March)
- The Muelle de las Almas at Cucao and the Pacific coast of Chiloé national park
Our tips on the ground
- The Pargua-Chacao ferry leaves every 30 minutes without booking, car included (around 15,000 CLP): no need to plan, but expect queues on summer Fridays and Sundays.
- Try curanto al hoyo (shellfish, meats and potatoes cooked under the earth) in a cocinería in Dalcahue or Castro — the real thing sometimes has to be ordered the day before.
- The Muelle de las Almas road ends in a track then an hour's walk through pastures: proper shoes, small change for the private crossing, and give it up in thick fog — the point is the view.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Chile on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Chiloé Island
Is Chiloé worth the detour on a southern circuit?
If you are after something other than landscapes: yes, absolutely. Chiloé plays culture where Patagonia plays nature — unique architecture, cuisine, living myths, island pace. Two nights cover the essentials (Castro, two churches, Puñihuil); aesthetes and photographers easily stay four. In the rain, the island actually gains atmosphere.
Can you reach the Carretera Austral from Chiloé?
Yes, via the Quellón-Chaitén ferry (Naviera Austral, a few sailings a week, around 4-5 h): a fine way to chain the island and Route 7 without backtracking through Puerto Montt. Book the vehicle passage several weeks ahead in January-February, and check the timetables — they shift with the seasons and the swell.