Chiloé - Wooded Church Romance in the Hinterland

We headed south again, to an archipelago that hangs like a tail at the end of this elongated country. Chiloé is more for inland tourists and lovers, there's not much partying here, but there's a lot of tradition, curiosities, and nature. Sounds just right for a few relaxing days, which is why Yannik and I chose this destination.

Our first stop was Ancud in the north. Not far away on three small rocks live two species of penguins. The Magellanic penguins and the Humboldt penguins, which can only be distinguished by their feather stripes. It's something completely different to be able to observe the animals in their natural habitat, which they share with 4 species of cormorants and giant ducks. Young sea lions also rest here. It was quite a bustling scene of different animal species living together in a small space, simply beautiful.

Afterwards, we went to a viewpoint at sunset, where a wooden boardwalk extends directly to the Pacific Ocean. So-called "mueles" stretch across the entire island and you could even fill an entire road trip with them. We only saw this one, but I think this view is already enough.

The next day we went to Castro, this city is more centrally located on the largest island and is therefore perfect as a starting point for further tours. However, I have to say, the distances in Chile are quite underestimated, we are only on one island but still you can easily spend 2 and a half hours on the bus to reach your destination. That's quite a lot of traveling. Many houses here are built on wooden walkways because there are also many moor-like areas on the island. Not only are all houses built in the style of wooden bungalows, but also the churches.

So you can start a second, much bigger road trip, where you visit the wooden buildings in many small villages. These are truly beautiful, both from the inside and the outside, and they remind me a bit of stave churches in Europe. The locals have used their knowledge of boat building and basically placed an "upturned boat" as a roof on each chapel. One day, we also joined a Chilean family (whom we met at breakfast in the hostel) and drove to the island of Lemuy via Chonchi. This island is not usually visited by tourists, so we drove on a pretty crazy road that was surrounded by the ocean on both sides, all the way to the end of the island. In a small village, we wanted to see the church, but a guide told me that Senora Chela was supposed to have the keys. Unfortunately, Senora Chela had hurt her foot and wasn't really in the mood to open the building for us. Too bad, but the journey alone was already worth it. Along the way, we could admire many more churches in this style.

One day, we explored the western side of the island, as there is the famous "Parque National de Chiloé". Unfortunately, since we couldn't find a place to rent a tent, one day had to suffice. We hiked through the initial areas of the park, which turned out to be a bird paradise, and followed in the footsteps of Charles Darwin. We ended the day at the beach, which we only had to share with seagulls and cows.

The food in Chiloé is also rich in tradition, as this island imports its native potatoes and seafood throughout the country. Around 60 different unique "potato" varieties are grown here. These potatoes actually shimmer in almost all colors you can imagine! Purple, blue, pink, or mixed... and they're all naturally super delicious. For example, they are made into a kind of potato pancake ("Milcao"), which is traditionally sold as a "snack" by the roadside with a meat mixture. I was especially surprised by the weight of these pieces, they feel like stone disks in your hand.

Another traditional dish is "Curanto". Recipe: take all kinds of seafood, meat, and sausages you can find, add potatoes and potato bread. Then bury the pot in the ground and cook everything together in its own broth for hours. Unfortunately, it didn't really suit our taste, but that may also have been due to the restaurant. In Chiloé, I was also able to indulge in my love for squid and Yannik, of course, got his pizza ;D.

On the last day, we set off before sunrise to see whales. We went out to the Pacific in an oversized rubber boat, where the fishermen had spotted the whales last night. Unfortunately, the whales didn't want to show themselves on this day, so we could only spot playing seals in the water. But that's how nature is, unpredictable, especially in Chiloé. This naturally has its advantages and disadvantages.

We are now on our way to the capital with small stops along the way, to spend the holidays "the Chilean way". Dancing cumbia on the beach at 30 degrees ;D. I'm sending you all very warm and sunny greetings to cold Germany. Have a cozy and contemplative celebration without stress, and save some gingerbread/mulled wine for me until I'm back ;*.

Frieda (21.12)