Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 447

El Rincón Chilote Pudeto 115. Hole-in-the-wall on the
plaza, selling cheap e mpanadas , tortillas and coffee. Next
door La Estación serves better coffee (closed Sun). Mon-
Sat 9am-7pm.

CH$6000; T 09 8 317 4302,
W ballenaschiloe.cl). You are likely to
catch sight of sea lions and sea otters,
as well as the penguins and a wealth of
seabirds from the boats - in the summer
months (late Jan-April), you might
also see a large pod of endangered blue
whales : the same outfit that runs boats
to the penguin colony arranges whale-
watching trips (CH$95,000). The easiest
way to see the penguins is on a tour from
Ancud (around CH$15,000; see box
below), but to save money use Buses Mar
Brava at Aníbal Pinto 356 (6.45am, noon
& 1pm; CH$1500), and ask to get off at
the colony (you'll still have to walk 2km).

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange There is an ATM in Banco de Chile
at Chorillos 621 (Plaza de Armas).
Hospital Almirante Latorre 301 ( T 65 622355). 24hr
medical service.
Internet and telephone Most hostels now offer
internet access and wi-fi (the Mercado Municipal usually
has free wi-fi). Try L&J Net at Errázuriz 342 (daily 10am-
7pm; CH$500/hr), or Interm@x on Maipú between Pudeto
and Ramírez (similar hours and rates).
Laundry Clean Center, Pudeto 45 (Mon-Sat 9.30am-1pm
& 3-7.30pm).
Post o ce Pudeto, at Blanco Encalada (Mon-Fri 9am-
6pm, Sat 9am-12.30pm).
Shopping The Feria Rural & Artesanal on Prat and the
Mercado Municipal have a number of stalls selling woollen
goods and woodcarvings, as well as home-distilled liqueurs
such as the bright golden licór de oro - a traditional Chilote
drink, the recipe for which is guarded jealously.

VALLE DE CHEPU
Around 25km south of Ancud, a turn-off
leads to the Valle de Chepu , a large stretch
of wetlands created during the 1960
tsunami, whose sunken forest provides
a thriving habitat for hundreds of bird
species and superb hiking trails as far as
the Parque Nacional Chiloé.

4

Pingüineras de Puñihuil
Don't leave Ancud without taking
a half-day tour of the Pingüineras de
Puñihuil ( W pinguineraschiloe.cl), a large
colony of Humboldt and Magellanic
penguins spread over three tiny islands
of the coast some 24km southwest of
Ancud. The last 10km is on a rough
gravel road to the little fishing village
of Puñihuil , where local collective
Ecoturismo Puñihuil runs half-hour
zodiac trips (Spanish commentary,
with English information; Sept-March
10.30am-5.45pm, every 30min;

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus To get here, take the Buses Peter service ( T 8
3831172) from the Petrobras petrol station at the corner of
Arturo Prat and Goycolea in Ancud (6.45am; buses return
around 5pm), or if you plan to stay the night, the 4pm bus
from the Terminal Inter-Rural (Mon, Wed & Fri only; these
buses pass Chepu Adventures ).

ACCOMMODATION
Chepu Adventures T 09 93792481, W chepuadventures
.com. A superb, self-su cient eco-campsite; you can either
cook for yourself or stay in one of the two nearby agroturismo
homes for some superb home cooking. The welcoming

ANCUD TOUR OPERATORS
Aki Turismo Mercado Municipal (on Dieciocho, at
Libertad) T 65 545253, W akiturismochiloe.cl. Estab-
lished outfit running daily tours to see the penguins
at Pingüineras de Puñihuil (Dec-Feb 10am & 4.30pm;
CH$15,000, minimum 2 people), as well as day-tours
taking in Chiloé's most famous wooden churches.
Reserve a day ahead and you will be picked up from
your hostel.
Austral Adventures Costanera (Salvador Allende) 904
T 65 625977, W austral-adventures.com. While this
reputable operator run by an extremely knowledgeable

American-Peruvian couple generally caters for the upper
end of the market, specializing in multi-day tours of
Patagonian fjords and the Chiloé archipelago aboard the
Cahuela , they also offer excellent day-trips around Chiloé
- from visiting the penguin colonies (CH$35,000, with
full-day coastal trek) to kayaking and trekking parts of
the Sendero de Chile. Day-kayak trip on the Bay of Ancud
including lunch CH$35,000.
Turismo Pehuén (see p.455) has an o ce at the
Plaza de Armas.