Day 1
Puerto Varas/ Puerto Montt – Calen – San Juan – Tenaún
The journey begins in the continental zone of Puerto Varas, Puerto Montt or at the airport Tepual of Puerto Montt between 8:30 – 9:00am. After about 40 miles the journey continues crossing the Chacao Channel onboard a ferry ship that takes between 40-45 min to get to Chacao, the northernmost village on Isla Grande of the archipelago of Chiloé. After the first trip at sea in Chiloé, the journey continues by land to Calen, a village located near a small, protected bay, located an hour and a half away. The Travesia Sur base is located in Calen where the captain and crew of the ONA ship await to take us on a marvelous trip to each corner of the archipelago. Most of the ONA crew is local people who know the area like the palms of their hands.
After our first lunch onboard we sail to San Juan, a small village that specialized for centuries in the construction of wooden ships. San Juan was one of the villages where boats from Europe and the Americas were once repaired. Chiloé was the first tranquil location for repairing ships that had been suffering during the journey from the turbulent, southern seas of Cabo de Hornos, Drake, Golfo de Penas and Corcovado. A small town full of history and friendly people anxious to share their culture. In San Juan we meet a local guide who takes us to the shipyards and to a historic church, which was also built by the ships’ carpenters. On our way back we go on a walk over the hills of Calen and San Juan. Afterwards we sail through islands to the village Tenaún where our captain will show us the traditional fishing, setting traps for king crabs and fishing with typical equipment like the “espineles”. After dinner we can take an evening stroll to view the town at night and see the lit church, which serves as a lighthouse for sailors.
Day 2
Islas Chauques – Mechuque – Añihue
Before we start with the cruise we collect the fish and shellfish from our own installation. Then we start the navigation towards the Chauques Archipelago, which is well known for its abundant amount of hidden inlets and numerous islands. Before noon we go for a relaxing hike for an hour and half, crossing Mechuque Island, one of the largest islands in the archipelago, passing by hills, fields and agricultural paths until we arrive at a picturesque village of Mechuque. The picturesque village is full of Palafito houses, which are known for their unique foundations constructed with poles. Once in Mechuque, we visit the museum of Don Paulino, an old house which has been built by one of Don Paulino’s sons in honor of his father, who was once both a trader and sailor. In the afternoon we head to the local divers´ fishing zone to gather fresh oysters directly from the sea. If we are lucky we can even see schools of sawfish.
During the afternoon we head to Añihue Island where our team awaits to bring us to the exquisite hot tubs of Thalasotherapy and saunas. There are also wooden boats for those who would like to go paddling. Afterwards our crew invites us to an ancestral meal at a Huilliche bonfire. Surrounding the warm fire, we enjoy the delicious flavors of a meal cooked over the flames with ingredients we recollected during the day. Listening to traditional music we learn about life in the islands and their numerous myths from our guide.
Day 3
Caguach – Llingua – Achao
If the tides permit, we leave early in the morning to gather shellfish (when the tides wane on Chiloé, their depth decreases by nearly 7 meters, which allows us to enter deeper on the beach to collect shellfish that remain on the bottom of the sea). The journey continues to Caguach, an island which is home to the most important religious celebration in Chile that takes place 2 times per year. We cross the island and learn about the wooden image of Nazareno de Caguach, which was brought from Peru in 1778 and depicts one of the most important myths of the archipelago.
For lunch we dine on the fresh, collected seafood prepared in a local manner known as Curanto (the Curanto is one of the most typical dishes of Chiloé and consists of seafood, smoked meat and potatoes cooked in a pot between hot stones). After lunch we visit Isla Llingua to learn about the tradition of basket weaving. Men and women of this island have preserved the old profession of making baskets out of natural fibers, as they were made in pre-Columbian times. In the afternoon we sail to Isla Quinchao to get to know the oldest of the famous wooden churches built by the Jesuits at the beginning of the 18th century. The colors and figures of the different types of wood used for the construction of Achao’s church are of particular interest, as they are not constructed with nails, but rather wooden studs and joints to connect the beams and structures. 14 of Chiloe’s churches were declared world heritage sites by UNESCO in the year 2000. The small village of Achao is a center for the exchange and supply of goods in the smallest islands of the archipelago where we can find handicrafts made of raw materials like wool and other products from the land and sea.
Day 4
Dalcahue – Chonchi
In the morning we set sail to the port of Dalcahue where we visit the handicraft fair. In the afternoon ONA brings us to Chonchi, also called the 3-story town, built on a hill that gradually descends into the sea. We visit the handcraft distilleries of Mistrela, which is the name of the local liquor made of the island’s fruits. Later we visit the local museum located in an old building. Chonchi is a small city with streets that will make us feel like we have been transported to a past decade.
Day 5
Costa del Pacifico – Parque Nacional Cucao – Chonchi
In the morning we go on a pleasant, full day excursion to the western Pacific coast, passing through the national park of Cucao and the Tepuhueiso Reserve. We visit local gold sifters, a seal colony in La Punta Pirulil, and a beach of fossils, all of which are located alongside the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. In the afternoon we return to Chonchi where ONA awaits us one more time with its delicious flavors.
Day 6
Calen – Puerto Varas/ Puerto Montt
We begin with a tranquil boat ride to Calen, our point of disembarkation, to relax and enjoy our final hours on board after days of our busy adventure, passing by the islands and the mythic landscape for the last time. After lunch we bid farewell to the crew and head to Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt. (We recommend connecting flights with departure 6:00pm at the earliest).
Chile
