Highlights of Chiloé Island

Day 1: Transfer to Chiloé Island; Tour of northern part of island

Your trip begins in the morning with you being picked up from either your hotel in Puerto Montt, Puerto Montt Airport or Puerto Varas. You'll be driven to the port for the 35-min ferry trip to the emerald island of Chiloé. This island is a different world from the nearby Chilean mainland – inhabited by Huilliche indigenous people, Spaniards arrived from 1567 onwards, three centuries before their arrival to the Puerto Montt area.

Chiloé is steeped in history, natural beauty (over half the island still has no road access), wonderful seafood, UNESCO churches and tranquility. You’ll explore the northern part of the island, visiting small villages and tasting oysters and getting close to a breeding colony of Humboldt and Magellanic penguins.

At the end of your first day, continue on to the town of Castro, capital of the island, and check in to your unique Palafito wooden hotel; home for the next three nights.

Meals: Lunch

Accommodation: Palafito 1326, Castro

Day 2: Dock of the Souls and Tepuhueico Park

Today you'll head to the western side of the island, the rugged Pacific coast. First there will be an easy 4.5-km hike to reach the famous wooden Dock of the Souls (Muelle de las Almas) which is located on a cliff with stunning views along the rocky coastline.

You'll then take a short drive south-west to the private reserve of Tepuhueico Park - one of the best-preserved areas of temperate rainforests in the whole archipelago. There are a fantastic range of hikes here and good chances of spotting wildlife such as the pudu and Darwin's fox. Your naturalist guide will impart the local insights, and assist you to experience the best wildlife spotting opportunities available.

You'll return to your hotel in the afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Accommodation: Palafito 1326, Castro

Day 3: The wooden churches of Castro and Chonchi

This morning you'll take a walking tour of Castro, visiting the palafitos (stilt houses), the impressive wooden cathedral of San Francis and the local market. Here we'll buy some food that we'll use for lunch later on. This will be one the highlights of the trip with the food being prepared at the home of one of the finest chefs on the island.

Today's lunch experience is truly unique, as you'll get to know the vast variety of Chilote local ingredients which have been used by the island's inhabitants in their cooking for centuries. Your host/chef will ensure you leave well fed and with a great admiration for the traditional cuisine of Chiloé. 

In the afternoon you'll visit the terrace village of Chonchi where you'll enjoy a walk before heading back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Accommodation: Palafito 1326, Castro

Day 4: Visit Chepu river valley; Transfer to Puerto Montt

After breakfast you'll leave Castro for the north-west of the island. You'll take a boat to the mouth of the Chepu River where there are good opportunities to spot wildlife and then talk a walk to one of the best ocean viewpoints at the Dock of the Light (Muelle de la Luz).

You'll have lunch at the home of Enriqueta and Fernando, locals of the area, who have a great fogón - space for sharing meals with the community, overlooking the river basin and the Pacific Ocean.

You'll return to Puerto Montt in the afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch