With the means available to them the Chiloens built several wooden churches on their islands. These are very simple structures substituting wood for stone. If you were to strip the decoration, the tower and the columns from the buildings you would end up with large barns. Still, the simplicity and the modest means have a distinctive charm worthwhile exploring.

During my visit of 2.5 days I was able to visit 7 of the 16 inscribed churches. Of these I was able to enter 3 (+1 view). I wasn’t able to find any information on the opening hours for most churches, so be ready to stand in front of closed doors. You may have more success if you join an organized tour.

Given our maps, locating the churches was not an issue at all:

• Castro: Currently (2016) undergoing renovations and not open to the public.
• Achao: Open from 10h to 15h. I was too late.
• Dalcahue: Wasn’t able to get in. Twice. Plenty of busses from Castro. Busses continue to both Tenaun and Achao.
• Tenaun: A bit remote and the road to Tenaun is terrible. They are constructing a new road, till then mind your car. You will probably be able to get in, though: The key is with a neighbor (leave a donation). Direct busses run from Castro via Dalcahue. Nice add on: You get a view of the snow covered Andes.
• Nercon: Nice church not far from Castro with a graveyard. The cleaning ladies let me take a peek.
• Villupulli: I liked this one best. A small village church on the sea. The key is with the neighbors (leave a donation), so good likelihood of getting in.
• Chonchi: First church I finally got in. The town itself is quite impressive.

The hours and opening times are provided to the best of my knowledge.

Hunting for all the churches, I spent hours in busses having the gorgeous landscape pass by. As such I feel that the Chiloe inscription should encompass more than just the island’s churches, i.e. some towns and the island’s nature, too.

Getting There

There are plenty of busses coming in from all over Chile. If you fly in, you will probably end up in Puerto Montt. From there it’s an additional 4h bus ride to Castro (Cruz de Sol, Quellenbus). You can also check for a direct flight from Santiago to Castro that LAN has started offering.

I would stay in Castro, the center of the island and the central transport hub. It also offers the most amenities and has a site itself.

Getting Around

Having a car helps. A lot. But plenty of churches are easily accessible via local bus from Castro. If you are short on time and want to see as many churches as possible take a look at tour operators.

The easiest stretch and from what I have seen a representative selection are the four churches between Castro and Chonchi. If travelling by public transport, go to Chonchi and then hop back to Castro from church to church. Frequent busses are running this stretch of the Panamericana, so no need to plan much.

While You Are There

The world reknown, iconic landmark you want to see are the palafitos of Castro. I did a Kayak tour to get a seaside view with Siempre Verde Tour Company (25.000$). I do think the palafitos merit inscription on the list on their own. However, the beaches the buidlings are set upon are public land and the buildings therefore basically illegal. Apparently, there aren't even public property records. Also, the buildings aren’t that old as most were destroyed by the last great tsunami in 1960 and new ones are built frequently. Still, a site to behold.

The west coast and south of Chiloe are covered by impressive natural parks. From Castro hourly busses run via Chunchi to Cucao from where you can explore Chiloe National Park. The visit can also be combined with visits to the three churches along the road. From Ancud you can go and visit a penguin colony.

If you come in via Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and the Osorno volcano are nearby. From Puerto Montt you can also visit Monte Verde, one of the oldest known human settlement sites in the Americas and itself a tentative site of Chile.

Notes

• Several of the churches are aligned along the iconic Panamericana highway.
• Food in Castro is stellar. I ate at both Mercadito and Nueva Galicia and the quality was very good. Sole caveat: Curanto, don’t go there. Mixing mussels and pork sausage is weird at best (been there, done that, never again).