Located on Chiloé Island, this small Chilean town has preserved its 18th-century wooden churches and serves as a base for whale watching in the Strait of Magellan.
Castro, the capital of Chiloé Island in southern Chile, invites you to explore its wooden houses built on stilts above tidal channels, 19th-century churches recognized by UNESCO, and markets filled with local crafts. Walk through the Gamboa area to see brightly painted palafitos mirrored in still water, step inside the yellow-and-violet San Francisco Church on the main square, or shop for wool goods at Feria Artesanal Lillo. As Chiloé’s central transport hub, Castro connects travelers to villages like Dalcahue, national parks such as Chiloé National Park, and islands including Quinchao through buses and ferries departing daily.
Visit Castro’s Architectural Highlights
Begin at Plaza de Armas, where the San Francisco Church rises with its yellow exterior and violet towers. Rebuilt in 1912 after a fire, the church uses native alerce wood for its ceiling beams and cypress for decorative carvings around the altar. Walk northwest to the Gamboa district to see palafitos—houses on stilts built by fishermen decades ago to adapt to tidal shifts. Many now operate as guesthouses with views of Fiordo de Castro. Near the town center, watch carpenters at the wharf shaping boats with hand tools, a craft preserved by local families for over a century.
Discover Local History Through Museums
At the Regional Museum of Castro on Esmeralda Street, examine displays of wooden farming tools, handwoven textiles, and miniature palafito models. The museum’s archaeology room explains how Chono canoeists and Huilliche farmers lived on the island before European arrival. Head to the Museum of Modern Art in Parque Municipal de Castro, four kilometers from downtown, to see temporary exhibits by Chilean artists. The museum sits on a hill with wide views of the bay. Near the harbor, Plazuela del Tren displays a 1920s steam locomotive and rusted cargo wagons from Chiloé’s abandoned railway.
Take Day Trips to Villages and Islands
In Nercón, part of Castro since 2007, visit the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church made entirely of dombeyi beech wood. Look for the detailed carvings on its ceiling and the altar painted with natural dyes. Travel 20 minutes by bus to Dalcahue, where the Sunday market sells wool sweaters, wooden kitchenware, and hot curanto stew cooked with shellfish and potatoes. From Dalcahue’s dock, take a 15-minute ferry to Quinchao Island. There, the Santa María de Loreto Church in Achao stands as one of Chile’s oldest wooden churches, built in the 1740s with pegged joints instead of nails.
Experience Markets and Festivals
At Feria Campesina Yumbel, browse stalls piled with purple potatoes, jars of murta berry preserves, and dried seaweed. A block away, Feria Artesanal Lillo specializes in wool products like thick slippers and ponchos colored with lichen-based dyes. In February, Castro’s waterfront comes alive during the Festival Costumbrista Chilote. Locals demonstrate how to make milcao potato pancakes over open fires, while musicians play traditional rhythms on accordions and guitars.
Plan Your Visit to Castro
Buses from Castro’s main terminal on Sotomayor Street reach Puerto Montt on the mainland after a 30-minute ferry ride. Use the Municipal Terminal for trips to Cucao’s beaches or Chonchi’s wooden churches. Shared taxis called colectivos provide affordable rides to areas outside the city center. Consider staying in a palafito guesthouse to wake up to fjord views from your window. Carry cash for small shops and markets, and learn basic Spanish phrases if venturing beyond Castro into rural Chiloé.
