The archipelago Chiloe located in the south Chile. The main island that Isla Grande de Chiloe, is the largest island in the country.
Compared to the rest of Chile, the area has retained its own cultural character. It is a good example of a Mestizo culture with Spanish and Indian roots, the Araucanian traditions are omnipresent. In addition, the peculiar wooden architecture is particularly noticeable in the churches that are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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Regions
In addition to the main island, there are more than 100 secondary islands, only a part of which is inhabited.
places
- 1 Castro
(30,000 inhabitants) the capital in the center - 2 Ancud
(30,000 inhabitants) port city in the north of the island - 3 Quellón
(15,000 inhabitants) Port in the south of the island, southernmost larger town. - 4 Dalcahue (5,000 inhabitants)
- 5 Chonchi (5,000 inhabitants), starting point for the Chiloé National Park
- 6 Achao (3,000 inhabitants) on the secondary island of Quinchao
- 7 Quemchi (2,000 inhabitants) in the northeast
Other goals
- 1 Chiloe National Park, accessible from Chonchi
background
In the archipelago, the Spaniards have lived relatively peacefully with the Araucans since colonial times, especially the group of Ugly who were sedentary and engaged in arable farming. The construction of the churches was initiated by the Jesuits, who evangelized the natives until they were expelled in 1767 and were then replaced by the Franciscans. It was not until 1826 that Chiloé was officially added to Chile. Because the Araucans - unlike other regions like Araucanía and the area around Puerto Montt - did not offer any resistance worth mentioning, this process was largely peaceful.
Since 1972 there are plans to use the main island Puerto Montt connect via a bridge. These were temporarily up to shortly before completion, but in 2006 the project was finally put to the files.
language
getting there
You can get there by ferry from Pargua, approx. 40 km south of Puerto Montt out. From Puerto Montt buses run at very frequent intervals. The ferry crossing is included.
There are also ferry connections between the main island and the eastern mainland and the Carretera Austral connect. From Quellón e.g. to Chaitén.
mobility
The larger towns all have bus stations and there are regular buses between them. Smaller places can be reached with micros. You can also hitchhike here.
Tourist Attractions
The churches and generally the wooden architecture with its numerous pile dwellings are the main attractions of Chiloé. There are also numerous deserted sandy beaches, but the water is very fresh (maximum 15 ° C in summer).
activities
kitchen
Fish and seafood form the basis of the Chiloe diet. There are numerous restaurants in the larger towns.
nightlife
security
climate
The west coast of Chiloé in particular has a very humid climate with over 4,000 mm of precipitation, especially in the winter months. This gives the island a very green character that can be found in areas like Ireland or the Spanish Galicia (the island was initially called Nueva Galicia) remind.
