Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 448

owners offer dawn kayaking trips as well as ecologically
sensitive nature walks along the coast to the large but
endanger ed Ah uenco pe nguin co lony. Camp ing/person
CH$4500 , dorms CH$7000 , doubles CH$35,000

Spartan contemporary art space featuring
Chilote artists.

Palafitos
Though deemed unsanitary by some
locals, Chiloé's famous palafitos are still
found at several locations around Castro.
Perched precariously on stilts above the
water, these brightly painted, traditional
wooden fishermen's dwellings are an
unforgettable sight. The idea was that you
could moor your boat at your back door
and walk out onto the street through the
front one. The most impressive examples
are found at the north end of town, of
Pedro Montt, where they are perfectly
reflected in the mini-lake by the roadside.
More palafitos are found slightly south
along the same street, while others are
used as restaurants at the southern end
of town, by the Feria Artesanal. A final
batch can be seen from the western end
of Eusebio Lillo, across the Río Bamboa,
and you can even stay in one (see p.454).
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus Cruz del Sur ( T 65 632389) has its own bus terminal
at San Martín 486, which serves numerous long-distance
destinations up to and including Puerto Montt (CH$5500)
and Santiago, as well as Punta Arenas in the south, Bariloche
in Argentina, and Ancud (CH$2000) and Quellón in Chiloé.
The Terminal de Buses Municipal, at San Martín 667, serves
ETM (buses to Santiago), Trans-Chiloé (Puerto Montt) and
also has services to smaller destinations around Chiloé,
including Cucao (Parque Nacional Chiloé). Ancud is cheaper
from this bus station (CH$1300).
Destinations Cruz del Sur terminal to: Ancud (hourly; 1hr
15min); Puerto Montt (frequent; 3hr); Puerto Varas (15 daily;
3hr 45min); Punta Arenas (2 weekly; 32hr); Quellón, for
Parque Tantauco (hourly; 2hr 15min); Santiago (5.05pm &
6.10pm; 18hr); Valdivia (7 daily; 8-9hr). Terminal Municipal
to: Ancud (frequent; 1hr 15min); Cucao (4-6 daily from
8.30am; 1hr 15min); Dalcahue (every 30min; 30min); Puerto
Montt (frequent; 3hr); Santiago (5.10pm & 7pm; 18hr).
By ferry Naviera Austral ( W navieraustral.cl) runs one
weekly ferry (Jan & Feb only) to Chaitén on the mainland
(from CH$16,000) from the passenger terminal (in the
port on Av Pedro Montt); from Chaitén you can connect
with buses south into Aysén (see p.457).
Tourist o ce The tourist information centre (daily
10am-8pm; W municastro.cl) on the Plaza de Armas has
plenty of information on the area (though it's all behind
the counter, so you have to know what to ask for) and scale
models of Chiloé's famous wooden churches.

CASTRO
The third-oldest continuously inhabited
city in Chile, CASTRO was founded by
the Spanish in 1567 and survived a
number of calamities through the
centuries: being pillaged by English and
Dutch pirates, numerous fires and the
great earthquake of 1960, which largely
destroyed it. These days it's the bustling
capital of Chiloé - though it's about the
same size, it feels a lot more developed
than Ancud.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
A large Plaza de Armas surrounded by bars
and restaurants is Castro's focal point; in
summer, outdoor musical events are staged
here. The yellow-purple neo-Gothic Iglesia
San Francisco (daily 9.30am-12.30pm &
3-8.30pm) stands on the northeastern
corner of the plaza - this version was
completed in 1912, with its all-wood
interior well worth admiring. The Museo
Regional (Jan-Feb Mon-Fri 9.30am-7pm,
Sat 9.30am-6pm, Sun 10.30am-1pm;
March-Dec Mon-Fri 9.30am-1pm &
3-6.30pm, Sat 9.30am-1pm; donations) is
on Esmeralda, just half a block south of the
plaza, and features everything from exhibits
on the indigenous Chonos and Huilliche
(a branch of the Mapuche), to black-and-
white photos of the 1960 earthquake and
its devastation. Two blocks from the plaza,
steeply downhill, lies Eusebio Lillo, the
coastal road that's home to a number of
seafood restaurants , with the large Feria
Artesanal (daily 9am-6pm) by the water
selling all sorts of woollen goodies and
other crafts; though not as famous as the
Sunday market at Dalcahue, this one is
almost as good, and you can try salmon
ceviche with red peppers for a spicy
breakfast at the restaurants behind. The
summer-only Museo de Arte Moderno in
the Parque Municipal de Castro (Pasaje
Díaz 181; Jan-March daily 10am-6pm;
donations; T 65 635454, W mamchiloe.cl),
housed in a shingled farmhouse, is a

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