ATTRACTIONS

Sea and sand, breeze, enticing sunlight, balmy moonlit nights: Chiloe is an inspirational place that begs to be explored, a rosary of captivating islands that will become an unforgettable experience for the traveler that reaches this remote corner of Chile.

When visiting the Chiloe, remember the following sites:

-ANCUD
Is reputed for its wooden houses and churches, showing their magnificence with pride all around the main square. Seven old Spanish towers surround a replica of the Ancud schooner, a "Chilotan" ship which took possession of the Straits of Magellan in 1843.
The boulevard is also of great interest to tourists, since from it one can obtain interesting views of Quetalmahue Gulf and its inlets as well as the Lacuy Peninsula.
Ancud is at the northern tip of Grande Island and has 23,854 inhabitants. It was founded on August 20th, 1768 by the Spanish Brigadier Carlos Berenguer and is now the area of Chiloe most in contact with continental Chile. It is 1109 kms away from Santiago and 30 from Puerto Montt.

-CASTRO
Stands alone among the other cities in Chiloe for its "houses on stilts": wooden columns are fixed to the island's foundation rock to protect houses from tide rises. It is positioned on the shore of the Grande Island, on the estuary of the Gamboa River.
Other points of interest are the "Plaza de Armas" (Main Square), the Regional Museum, the Museum of Modern Art of Chiloe and the San Francisco's Church, which was declared a World Cultural Heritage monument by UNESCO. At the same time, Castro is the starting point for many tourist excursions. The city is the capital of the province of Chiloe. It was founded in 1567 by Maño Ruiz de Gamboa,. It is located 175 kms from Puerto Montt and 1187 from Santiago. Tourism and fishing are its main activities.

-DALCAHUE
It is an important sea link between Grande Island and Quinchao. On its beaches, one can find numerous mollusks and crustaceans which are one of the main sources of income in the region and providing raw material for the rich local gastronomy.

-CHONCHI
Is also called the "city of the three floors", because of its peculiar way of building. Don't forget to visit the Regional Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Llau-Llau, Vilopullí, Rilan and San Francisco Churches, the Quilquico Chapel, Mt Millantue and Castro Municipal Park. It is possible to access Lemuy Island in only 15 minutes on a ferry departing from Chonchi. This is a picturesque destination due to the beauty of Ichuac Church, Puchilco Lagoon, and the villages of Puqueldon, Aldachico and Defif, which are bordered by channels, tiny-islands and dreamy beaches. Chonchi is located in the central area of Grande Island, 23 kms from Castro.

-QUELLON
Is a charming city, affording a beautiful view of the Corcovado Volcano and the nearby islands. This site is the home of the only native communities in Chiloe: Compu, Chadmo Central and Hauipulli. The city -located 75 kms south of Chonchi and 92 from Castro- was founded in 1906 by a company who manufactured acetone, methyl alcohol and charcoal until the mid-20th century. In spite of the disappearance of this industry, the population still has a healthy commercial-industrial interchange by sea with the continental towns of Chaitén and Aisén.

CHILOE NATIONAL PARK
Which covers 43,957 hectares, is a wild-life refuge, a sanctuary of nature buried deep in the heart of Great Island. Tours to the park leave from Castro, heading south, skirting the Huillinco and Cucao lakes and arriving in Cucao village, the park's main access. This protected area has heavenly beaches and a rich variety of flora and fauna. Among the native flora species, we can mention the coihue, the "olivillo canelo", the "ulmo", the "cifre", the "arrayán", the hazel and the "luma". It is also possible to find wolves, otters, Chiloe foxes, Chiloe "monitos de monte", Chiloe red mouse, "pudu" or Chilean deer and Chiloe "diuca". Among the birds we can see the Patagonian woodpecker, the kelp goose, the flightless steamer duck, flamingoes and several penguin species.