The second largest island in South America
- after Tierra del Fuego- measuring 290 miles from north to south. The coastal mountains cross its entire length,
creating two completely different environments. Towards
the Pacific, the coast receives constant damp winds from
the ocean and heavy rainfalls, so there is abundant vegetation.
Facing the continent, the island's microclimate allows
for human life with all its folklore and varied mythology,
its cuisine - such as the typical curanto- and all necessary
agricultural crops. With their maritime tradition, these
people built most of their homes on palafitos - pillars
of wood that hold the house above the water - which are
one of the island's emblems, together with its characteristic
wool handicrafts.
All those who visit Chiloé are charmed
by its beauty. This is a place where exuberant nature
goes hand-in-hand with friendly people whose assets include
150 churches and chapels built by Jesuits Missionaries
during the XVIII and XIX centuries and which are now recognized
as a World Heritage. In the inner sea, between the island
and the continent, there are a number of small islands
separated by channels that can be reached by boat or kayak.
Some are so close together that, in the ebb tide, it is
possible to walk from one island to another.
The island's main urban centers are Castro,
Ancud and Quellón where Chiloé's delicious
cuisine can be enjoyed. Stay at Hosteria
Ancud or Hosteria
Castro the starting point for tours to the surrounding
areas, sea kayaking, bicycle tours, fishing trips, maritime
crossings, observation of the flora and fauna.
Long inhabited by Cunco, Chonos and Mapuche
Indians, the Chiloé Island entered the history
of the Spanish Conquest around 1567, with the founding
of Castro. When the mapuche insurrection of 1599 destroyed
spanish settlements in the south, the island's inhabitants
ended up completely isolated from the rest of the Spanish
Chile, a situation that was to last for over 200 years.
With luck, a ship for Lima arrived once a year to unload
much needed provisions and buy up the islander's production
of wool, wood and gold; over time, spanish culture mixed
with native culture, lives were lived with a minimum of
resources and a unique rural tradition came into being.
The Jesuit Order made this corner of the
world their special responsibility, leaving their mark
in over 150 wooden churches and the country's highest
literacy rate. Formed by the fusion of native and Catholic
belief systems, Chiloé mythology is populated with
strange figures including the troll like Trauco, magical
sea creatures and ghost ships crewed by fishermen lost
at sea.
Famous for it's cuisine, the most representative dish
in the islands is curanto, a hearly catch-all stew traditionally
cooked in a hole in the earth. Visitors to Chiloe Island
will enjoy seafood baked and grilled served up with plentiful
vegetables grown on the island.
Navigate the protected Castro Fjord and
Chauques Islands by boat or sea kayak where many inhabitants
live without motors or electricity. Or cruise in style
along the island's northern and eastern coast, visiting
spanish forts, fishing villages and other attractions.
Wildlife lovers will be drawn to Chiloé's wild
Pacific Coast, where Chiloé National Park protects
miles upon miles of beaches and temperate rainforest,
including habitat for a wide variety of birds, foxes and
pygmy deer, among other species.
Contact
us to include Chiloé Island in your next Chile
adventure.
