WHAT TO SEE IN CHILOé

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Day 12: Castro - What to see in Chiloé: Vilupulli Church, Chonchi Church, Lemuy Island: Ichuac Church, Aldachildo Church and Detif Church

Today, just as we did yesterday on the Chiloé Churches route we get up a little later and leave the Cabañas Alcamar when it is approximately 9 in the morning, this time without making a first stop in Castro, since we still have many places what to see in Chiloé and we prefer to take advantage of the morning from the first hour.

After the tour we did yesterday, the approach to today's route is much shorter, focusing on the southern part of the island, hoping to return to Castro at noon, where we want to eat and enjoy the city for a while.

What to see in Chiloé

If you have two days in Chiloé and you want to know some of the World Heritage churches we recommend that you follow the Chiloé Churches Route that we did yesterday, in addition to the tour we will do today. This itinerary will take you through 14 of the 16 Heritage churches and will also allow you to know the Island of Chiloé, since in the journeys you make in the rental car you will go through many landscapes and charming villages that otherwise, you probably could not.

As we also mentioned yesterday, this route is ideal to include the Church of Nercón and / or the Church of Chonchi, which we already visited the day we arrived in Chiloé and dedicated the afternoon to all the places we had to see in Castro, adding these two places.

We make the first stop of the day in Vilupulli where we find one of the Chiloé World Heritage Churches more beautiful and located in a more idyllic environment.

Vilupulli Church

San Antonio de Vilupulli Church> / h3>Located in the town of the same name, north of Chonchi we find the San Antonio de Vilupulli Church, a beautiful church that is located in the upper area of a hill, looking at the Yal canal.In addition to visiting the church, it is recommended to take a walk in the area, one of the most eccentric in Chiloé.

San Antonio de Vilupulli Church

As we had read, after visiting the church and the surrounding area, we go down a gentle slope until we reach a pebble beach where, as a curiosity, we will tell you that you can see very closely a family of sea lions that enjoy this Amazing environment for a while now.
Being the time it is and considering that we have not yet had breakfast and we have to go through Chonchi, we decided to go back into the town and in addition to going for a walk, the other day we fell in love, take the opportunity to buy something to fill stomach.

The surprise we get when the few coffee shops that we find, even though it is 10 in the morning, are closed and in one we ask, they tell us that they still have to clean, so it will take a long time to serve us. This reminds us of the change of pace that is lived in places like these and that we crave so much, but to those who tell us so much to adapt ...

We return to the car and we go directly to the port area, where we park the car and where we meet again with the same situation, so we decided to enter a supermarket that is right on the main street, where they sell coffee and also something to eat So without planning we see ourselves sitting in front of the sea, in Chonchi, with a couple of sausages and two coffees that serve us as a companion in this impromptu picnic in which without looking for it, we have the best views we could have imagined.

Chonchi Walk

Chonchi

Having previously passed through the center of town we have seen that the Chonchi Church was open, so before continuing on our way and visiting the places we have left what to see in Chiloé, we make a brief stop in this peculiar church, which we assure you, will not leave you indifferent.

Chonchi Church

Church Our Lady of the Rosary

Located right in the place where the Isla Grande de Chiloé gets narrower, we find the Chonchi Church, in the middle of the city, in the Plaza de Armas. One of the best known features is the large blue vault that covers it, in which a multitude of white stars are painted, something that gives a truly spectacular atmosphere to its interior.

Interior Chonchi Church

After this somewhat improvised visit, we will make our way to Lemuy Island, where we will visit 3 World Heritage churches in Chiloé and that from what we have read, it is highly recommended to visit.
From Chonchi we arrive at Chulchuy, the place where we have to take the ferry in just 5 minutes, since we are only 4.4 kilometers away, finding ourselves and what will be our transport across the sea ready to leave, so without thinking, we drive the car where they indicate us and after paying 2000CLP, we leave the car to enjoy during the 5 minutes of the journey of the views that take us to the Island of Lemuy, which they say is one of the most beautiful islands of Chiloé.

Ferry to Lemuy Island

Already from Lemuy Island we drive a few minutes to reach the Church of Ichuac, the first of the churches we find on this island.

Road to the Church of Ichuac

Ichuac Church

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Nativity Church of María de Ichuac

Built in 1880, with cypress wood and larch, this church is the first one we found on Lemuy Island when you arrive from the Isla Grande de Chiloé. In its beginning this church had two bodies in the tower, which collapsed in the 1960 earthquake, at which time they removed one of them to leave the aspect that we can see today.

Nativity Church of María de Ichuac

When we find the closed church as well as the enclosure in which it is located, we dedicate just minutes to take some photos to follow the route of the places what to see in Chiloé towards Aldachildo, where the next church we will visit on Lemuy Island is located, just 10 kilometers away from Ichuac.

Lemuy Island Roads

Here we find a tiny charming little town, where we can only see the church from the outside, since it is also closed and on the beach, have that vision of the boats stranded at low tide that both attract our attention and that we would not mind Enjoy for hours.

Aldachildo

Jesus Nazarene Church of Aldachildo

In the town of Aldachildo we find this church that was built in 1910 with larch, cypress and coigüe that stands out for having a blue vault inside, with hundreds of yellow stars, similar to the one we saw this morning in Chonchi and that unfortunately, at Be closed, we can't visit.

Jesus Nazarene Church of Aldachildo

After this brief stop, it is 12:30 in the morning when we follow the route making way to when to Detif, which will be our last stop of the day and where on the way we have spectacular views of the two oceans on both sides of the road, which, as we had read, is reason enough to come here.

Road to Detif

And as we have said several times, in addition to the Chiloé Church Route, the visit to the wonderful Castro and the landscapes that we will enjoy tomorrow in the National Park, in Chiloé, one of the most pleasant and satisfying things is to travel by car its roads, from which you can enjoy an environment and unique landscapes, which already alone justify the visit.
We arrived in Detif when it is 1 noon, meeting another small town, just two streets, charming, where its church stands out, that place we were looking for and with which we finished the route we started yesterday and has taken us to know 14 of the 16 Chiloé World Heritage churches.

Santiago Apostle Church of Detif

Built on a stone base, to preserve it from the humidity of the place, the church that we can see today in Detif is the second one they built and as the rest is built with wood, in this case of larch and coigüe.
Its interior has three ships in which you can see several ships hanging from the roof, which at the time were offerings donated by sailors in the area.

Santiago Apostle Church of Detif

After enjoying this area for a few minutes, when it is almost 1:30 in the afternoon, we start the way back home, passing by the same road that we arrived and arriving at the ferry when a few minutes past 2 late.

Views from the ferry from Lemuy Island to Castro

Once we are again on the Isla Grande de Chiloé and already with the stomach demanding something to eat, we set off to Castro, where we arrived in less than 30 minutes, making a stop at the Mirador Palafitos Barrio Gamboa, where we were already the day We arrived in Chiloé, but where we can not resist stopping again and more with the sunny afternoon that is giving us this day of the trip to Chile and Easter Island.

Palafitos What to see in Chiloé

Palafitos Castro

After walking around the area and get tired To take photos from all angles, we have to find a restaurant where we can eat, deciding after consulting Tripadvisor for the Nueva Galicia Restaurant, one of the most recommended in Castro where we ordered a conger with steamed potatoes, some oysters and octopus Pil pil with a couple of soft drinks, two desserts and two coffees for 52000CLP.

Eating at Nueva Galicia Restaurant

After lunch we decided to approach the Plaza de Armas, where we took advantage of getting money at the State Bank, with the N26 card, where as in the rest of the cities in which we have used it we have no limit and also buy some souvenirs in the Center of Women Artisans, where we find some details made by hand that we do not resist taking.
It's a little after 5 in the afternoon when we decided to return to Cabañas Alcamar to spend a couple of hours resting, but not before making another brief stop at another viewpoint, highly recommended, from where you have unique views to another point where Castro's famous palafitos are located.

Palafitos What to see in Chiloé

This point is found on Route 5, northbound, one kilometer or so from Castro. They are seen from the road and you can park in the sea area, right on the side, so you can get to the exact point by car.

Palafitos What to see in Chiloé

And in Cabañas Alcamar we spent a couple of hours, relaxed in front of the fireplace, enjoying unique views until when it is 8 pm, we return to take the car to go to Castro, looking for a restaurant to dine at and thus end a most complete day in Chiloé.

Alcamar cabins

Since we arrived we wanted to go to Mar & Canela, a restaurant also highly recommended in Castro, which is located in a palafito, where we are lucky to find a table, since we have not booked and where we ask for a plate of machas, a plate of meat and one of a house sausage, plus a glass of wine and water for 46000CLP that we have to say, are very good.

Machas in Mar & Canela

The truth is that it is not especially cheap but considering everything we have eaten, which was great and the prices that are shuffled in Castro, we can really say that it is very worth eating here at least one day.
After dinner and take a walk through the palafitos area, when it is almost 11 pm we return to Cabañas Alcamar, with a smile from ear to ear, ready to relax, rest and start a new day tomorrow in Chiloé.