Chiloé Island | What to See, Do and Eat

The ferry ride might be short, but when you step onto Chiloé Island you’ll find yourself in a distinctly different world. Isolated from the mainland, there’s a sense of unity and pride among the locals. A slower pace of life. No vast mountain ranges or glaciers to explore, the charm of Chiloé can be found on rocky coastal roads meandering over hills and through small fishing villages with colourful wooden churches. Though often overlooked for the popular Carretera Austral, we’re so glad it was a destination on our road trip. Here are our favourite things to see, do and eat on Chiloé Island.

Get lost along the coastal route

Your instincts might tell you to take Highway 5 straight from the ferry to the main city of Castro. Instead, we recommend taking the W-125 along the Eastern coast. 

Don’t stick to the main road though. Take a random left turn and you’ll find farms with seaside views, small bays with abandoned ships, mussel farms out on the water. And, if you’re lucky, dolphins swimming near the shore.

Go Church Hunting 

Among the top attractions on Chiloe are the churches in every village. There are around 70 in total, 16 of which have been declared part of UNESCO World Heritage. They’re made entirely from intricately carved native wood and painted in any number of bright colours from lime green to baby blue. The woodwork inside is often just as impressive as the outside so be sure to enter when you can.

The sheer variety of churches makes it fun to find them all, like a scavenger hunt of the island. Though, some are difficult to get to without four wheel drive (watch out for steep winding hills). A local sent us on a mission to find the ‘Captain America’ church which had us overly excited when we found one painted red, white and blue. Though we still think it’s a tribute to the Chilean flag, not an American superhero.

Cool off at Cascadas de Tocoihue

En route from Quemchi to Dalcahue is a waterfall that makes for a relaxing pit stop. The property is owned by a lovely family who live on site, welcoming visitors to their own private paradise. There’s a small fee to enter and use the baños but it’s well worth it, especially on a hot day. 

The impressive falls tower over lush greenery and a pond that spills down a river behind the property. You can hop along rocks to get a closer look and find different vantage points to enjoy the scenery. There’s also a lookout to see it all from above.

Indulge at Dalcahue Market

The colourful wooden ships bobbing in this thriving fish port had us reminiscing about the Canadian East coast. As we drove around the tangle of one-way streets looking for parking we passed fishermen selling their catch of the day straight off the boat, fresh ceviche being sliced, mixed and portioned out for local lunches, and best of all, a small market sitting on stilts above the harbour.

The Dalcahue Market is a must-do if you’re exploring Chiloé. We finally got to taste curanto. Though we were a little thrown off when what we thought would be stew arrived as a bowl of perfectly cooked meat and seafood from an earth oven. Only after following the locals’ lead did we figure out that a steaming hot cup of broth could transform these goodies into the dish we’d been chasing since Bariloche. Curanto is far from fine dining but on a cool Autumn day it sure hits the spot. Check out stall #7 for a massive portion at a great price. One curonto is most definitely enough for two.

If you still have a room in your belly, head next door for some freshly fried empanadas. Cheese, seafood and meat varieties are made by hand in seconds right in front of you. Delectable and cheap. The market has loads of other goodies if you’re looking for fresh seafood, a sweet treat, a slice of pizza or something else entirely. Check out the dozen or so stalls and grab a seat overlooking the harbour.

Island hop to Quinchao

Once you’ve had your fill in Dalcahue, drive down to the ferry and cross to Quinchao island. Turn off on whatever road strikes your fancy and explore an even lesser-travelled side of Chile. Rolling hills and quaint beach towns provide unparalleled coastal views on all sides. You might spot the Andes in the distance, a fisherman hauling in the catch of the day, a beautiful seaside boardwalk or a farmer herding sheep on the beach. The small island has some of the freshest oysters you’ll ever try. And the quaint capital, Achao, is well-stocked to refuel on food, gas, water or public bathrooms and free wifi.

Cruise through Castro

The capital of Chiloé is Castro where you’ll see the most activity on the island. Though small, the downtown core is outright bustling with people, so much so that we couldn’t find a parking space. We settled for circling around the soaring gothic-style cathedral in the city centre.

The good news is just outside of town it’s easy to spot the famous stilt houses. Colourful, ramshackle homes supported by wooden poles hanging out over the water on the outskirts of the city. They’re curious and charming and make for some cute pictures. Worth cruising through Castro.

Enjoy the world’s best hot chocolate in Chonchi

Just past Castro is the smaller coastal town of Chonchi. We didn’t spend much time here but we did pull in to La Ventana de Elisa for the best hot chocolate we’ve ever had. Hands down. The large mug may as well have been pure melted chocolate. Which was only made better by the bowl of colourful mini marshmallows served on the side for dunking.

The Artisan market on the nearby waterfront has plenty of handmade goods from llama-wool ponchos to honey. Unfortunately, it was virtually closed for the season when we were there. Also within walking distance from downtown Chonchi are souvenir shops, an accordion museum and, of course, another striking wooden church.

Be surprised on the West coast

Most of Chiloé’s population is settled on the Eastern coast of the island while the West is waiting to be discovered. The tiny village of Cucao is the only one for miles. Many of the few tourists who end up there are drawn by the National Park, but we think the whole coast is worth exploring.

First, head south for about an hour and you’ll end up at a peculiar and breathtaking attraction called Muelle De Las Almas. Another private property turned tourist attraction. The hour long hike over lush rolling hills leads to a wooden bridge that stretches out into nowhere and provides an expansive viewpoint over the crashing ocean and rocky cliffs. 

Conversely, if you head North from town, you’ll find a beach hiding past the sand dunes. If you’re as lucky as we were you may get a look inside the secret world of mussel fishing. A surprisingly thrilling experience and one our most memorable moments from South America.

North, South and Beyond

From Cucao we backtracked to Castro and headed North to begin the next leg of our adventure in Chile’s Lake District. If you have more time, you could continue South and take the ferry from Quellón to Chaitén and continue on the Carretera Austral. Or if you’re visiting between January and March you could add whale or penguin watching in the Northwest. We would have jumped at the chance if we hadn’t already seen a ton of penguins in Punta Arenas.

See our full Chiloé Island itinerary and get the scoop on how to plan your own budget friendly road trip through Chile in this post.

If you’re heading further South into Patagonia check out our guide for trekking in Torres del Paine.

Or if you’re crossing over into Argentina be sure to visit our favourite town in Patagonia.

Have you been to Chiloé Island? What was your favourite thing to see, do or eat?