Exploring Chiloé from Castro

Since leaving Ancud, we've been basing ourselves in Castro, Chiloé's capital, for exploring the rest of the Chiloé archipelago. The local minibuses here are perfect for getting around to the smaller towns and islands. They run regularly from the bus station here, but are also happy to stop anywhere you flag them down from. We've even seen them reverse back for someone's friend that was late.

The palafitos in Castro

We've splashed out a bit here by staying in a 'palafito' - one of the traditional Chilote houses built on wooden stilts over the estuary. We even have a bathtub, where we've been soaking our petrolly bags in kitchen cleaner each night. There are huge squid left behind in the estuary when the tide goes out, and the bay is particularly beautiful in the early morning mist. It's been great chatting with the owners here and getting recommendations for where to go and what to see that's a little off the beaten track. They're probably wondering why they find a new empty cleaning bottle every day in our room though.

One such less explored place is the 'Muelle de las Almas' (Pier of Souls). We got a lift from the nearby small village to a remote farmhouse where we were given a key for a gate halfway along a track by the cliffs. From there, a short walk took us to a wooden pontoon built on the cliff with magnificent views over the bays and surf below. The drive back to Castro alongside a lake shore was equally beautiful, now visible after an ash cloud from the volcano had lifted since the morning.

The Muelle de las Almas

Chiloé is also known for its unique UNESCO listed churches. Built during the 18th and 19th centuries by Jesuit missionaries, they're constructed entirely of wood from the islands and often painted on the outside. We took local buses to visit the ones in Castro, Achao, Dalcahue and Tenaún. The plain wooden interiors are a stark contrast to usual Catholic churches, and the pretty blue towers are unlike any church we've seen before.

The churches in Castro and Tenaún

Our next stop will probably be Puerto Varas, quite close to the volcano. We've heard that the wind has been blowing towards Argentina, so we're hoping that it isn't too ashy.