1️⃣ Cash is still mainly used on the island, so it’s recommended to exchange money in advance or at the local banks. Chinese stores can also exchange a small amount of pesos for RMB.
2️⃣ The best way to explore is by self-driving and camping. If you want to be more efficient and hit all the spots, then join a tour: the penguin tour costs 20k in Ancud, and the sunrise kayak tour in Chepu can also be booked from here; other tours can start from Castro, mainly covering the routes on p11, with the sixteen UNESCO-recognized churches scattered around (there are no specific church tours now due to low demand).
I personally took the Quinchao and Lemuy routes; the former is relatively convenient using public transportation, but the latter requires hitchhiking.
3️⃣ Island cuisine:
For seafood, go to Dalcahue, and for oysters, Cucaco de Vélez.
The most traditional Curanto al hoyo (cooked in a pit dug in the ground) can sometimes be experienced as part of a day tour lunch; in the city, it’s usually cooked in large pots (some people find it tastier this way because the broth is retained).
You must try the seafood empanadas, and a special snack is milcao (a type of fried cake made from a mix of potato and flour, some with meat filling).
Try the local fruit wines; there’s a specialty store called Licores La Chonchina in the seaside market of Castro, where the shopkeeper’s grandmother was once known as the “Queen of Golden Liquor.
” I bought the famous Guindao cherry wine, which is very sweet.
4️⃣ Chiloé has many myths about wizards. On the street from the city center to the pier in Castro, and along the seaside promenade, there are many statues of mythological figures. Small booklets compiling these stories are often sold at the market stalls. There’s also a night forest tour that tells the fantastic legends of the island, not sure if there’s an English version.
5️⃣ The weather is often overcast and foggy. When it’s good, it’s stunning (p10 shows the only clear sunrise I encountered), and from the eastern coast, you can see the distant snow-capped mountains across the water.
6️⃣ For fruits, go to the feria campesina (farmer’s market). Mulberries are free for picking along the roadside, so bring a bag just in case.
7️⃣ The palafitos (stilt houses) in Castro are found both north and south of the city, with the ones in the south being more picturesque and photogenic.
8️⃣ The last bus from Castro to Puerto Montt is ETM’s at 22:40. Other companies’ last buses are around 18:00. ETM has the most frequent departures, with comfortable vehicles and single window seats. The cheapest minibus from Ancud to Castro is sold at the leftmost window of the station, costing 3k per person.
9️⃣ Clean Center, a budget laundry in Castro, is near the central square, in a red building with a blue sign, charging 1300 per kilogram. Price list on p13.
🔟 Storing luggage at the bus station is not expensive, see p18.
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