Castro and the wooden churches of Chiloé, stilt houses, local markets and folkloric festivals.

This tour begins with a look at the beautiful wooden church of San Francisco in the center of Ancud and a visit of the exhibition about the UNESCO World Heritage churches. The ‘Amigos de las iglesias de Chiloé’ or ‘Friends of the Chiloé churches’ house the headquarters of the UNESCO churches around the island. A one hour drive drive on the last stretch of the Pan-American Highway takes you to Castro.
You’ll visit some often overlooked places in and around Castro like the local fish, fruit and vegetable market, the ‘Ten Ten lookout’, the wooden boat wharf of Gamboa, the stilt houses or ‘palafitos’ and the never finished copper museum of Castro in Guggenheim style.
After lunch in a local restaurant we drive to the tiny village of Nercón with its UNESCO  wooden church that in September 2013 was reopened after one year of restoration. From Castro it is a short drive along the scenic inlet to Chonchi. The village of three floors is what Chonchi means in the indigenous language. The well preserved wooden houses, the colorful church and the small but interesting museum make Chonchi worth a visit.  On the way back to Ancud we stop at the architecturally different church of Villupulli. From the bell tower you’ll have a nice view over the interior sea.

Folkloric festivals in summer
Every year during the summer months (January and February) all over Chiloé there are festivals with local food, music, dance, country skills and animal shows. These local festivals give you an excellent insight into the island’s culture and gastronomy. Whenever there is the possibility we will visit these festivals if the client is interested in doing so. In general the folkloric festivals are on Saturday and Sundays.


 

What is included in the price:
Transport and bilingual guide

Duration: 8 hours approximately
Languages: English, Spanish, French and Dutch
Season: All year
Entrance of the churches is free but a donation of 1$ is recommended for maintenance of the churches