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Chiloé Island

Chiloé Island (8,394 km², 3241 sq mi), is the second largest island in Chile (and South America), after Tierra del Fuego. This beautiful archipelago, situated south of Puerto Montt is linked to the mainland by ferries. These cross the Chacao channel, definitely a world apart.

Whether on dry land or in their remarkable boats, Chiloe islanders live together with the sea and their fascinating legends. Chiloe is an archipelago made up of many islands.

One encounters wonderfully structured old churches; colorful markets full of sea and agricultural produce, knitted goods, woven baskets, ornaments and thick pure wool blankets. Chiloe's unique and delicious local cuisine features Curanto; a local dish consisting of all sorts of shell fish, smoked meats and pork steamed over hot stones sunk into the ground. In part because of its physical isolation from the rest of Chile, Chiloé has a very special architecture and local culture. It has a rich folklore with many mythological animals and spirits.

The Spanish, who arrived in the 16th century, and the Jesuit missionaries who followed, constructed hundreds of small wooden churches in an attempt to bring God to a pagan land; the result was a mixture of Catholic and pagan beliefs. These unique buildings have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

All those who visit Chiloé are charmed by its beauty. This is a place where an exuberant nature goes hand-in-hand with a friendly people, the creators of a fantastic mythology, a particular gastronomy and whose assets include 150 churches and chapels built by Jesuit miss during the 18-19th centuries. Today they have applied to the UNESCO for recognition as a World Heritage.

Chiloé is the second largest island in South America - after Tierra del Fuego - measuring 112 miles from north to south. The coastal mountains cross its entire length, creating two completely different environments: toward the Pacific, the coast receives constant damp winds from the ocean and heavy rainfalls, so there is abundant vegetation. Facing the continent, the island's microclimate allows for human life with all its folklore and varied mythology its gastronomy - such as the typical curanto and all the necessary agricultural crops. With their maritime tradition, these people built most of their homes on palafitos -pillars of wood that hold the house above the water - which are one of the island's emblems, together with its characteristic wool handicrafts.

In the inner sea, between the island and the continent, there are a number of small is lands separated by channels that can be reached by boat or kayak. Some are so close together that, in the ebb tide, it is possible to walk from one island to another. The island's main urban centers are Castro, Ancud and Quellón where Chiloe's delicious cuisine can be enjoyed. Also, they are the starting point for tours to the surrounding areas, adventure excursions, bicycle tours, to the surrounding areas, adventure excursions, bicycle tours, fishing trips, maritime crossings, observation of the flora and fauna, etc.

Attractions
History
Long inhabited by Cunco, Chonos, and Mapuche Indians, Chiloé Island entered the history of the Spanish conquest around 1567, with the founding of Castro. When the Mapuche insurrection of 1599 destroyed Spanish settlements in the south, the islands' inhabitants ended up completely isolated from the rest of the Spanish Chile, a situation that was to last for over 200 years. With luck, a ship from Lima arrived once a year to unload much-needed provisions and buy up the islanders' production of wool, wood and gold; over time, Spanish culture mixed with native culture, lives were lived with a minimum of resources, and a unique rural tradition came into being. The Jesuit order made this corner of the world their special responsibility, leaving their mark in over 150 wooden churches and the country's highest literacy rate.

Folklore
Formed by the fusion of native and Catholic belief systems, Chiloé mythology is populated with strange figures including the troil-like Trauco, magical sea creatures, and ghost ships crewed by fishermen lost at sea.

Gastronomy
Chiloé cuisine springs directly from the cornucopia of locally-produced seafood and agricultural products. The most representative dish in the islands is curanto, a hearty catch-all stew traditionally cooked in a hole in the earth. A gastronomic festival is held once a year in Castro.

Activities
Sea kayaking
The protected Castro Fjord and Chauques islands make for safe, enjoyable paddling in the archipelago's most traditional sector, where many inhabitants live without motors or electricity, abiding by the rhythms of the tides and the changing seasons.

Navigation
Boat trips in the islands provide a more relaxing alternative to sea kayak trips, allowing visitors to cruise in style along the island's northern and eastern coast, visiting Spanish forts, fishing villages, and other attractions.

Observation of flora and fauna
Wildlife lovers will be drawn to Chiloe's wild Pacific coast, where Chiloé National Park protects miles upon miles of beaches and temperate rainforest, including habitat for a wide variety of birds, foxes and pygmy deer, among other species.