Here the vastness of open water comes along with intimacy of tiny inlets between the steep fjords where hidden gems of waterfalls and hot springs await you; and the pastoral landscapes of welcoming local islands get even more impressive against the backdrop of unclimbed mountains.
Both natural and man-made wonders like uninhabited forests
and centuries-old wooden churches are here to take your breath away.
Let's not speak more — let's sail!
We set sail from Puerto Montt, a capital of the Los Lagos Region and the main sea port in the Western continental Chile. Its location makes the city a gateway to Patagonia travel. We will spend most of the day sailing, yet on our way we are going to step on a small Isla Chaullin to see a huge millennial myrtle forest, one of the three such forests in the world.
Mechuque is a part of The Chiloé Archipelago, and what a part! Locals call this small island the “Venice of Chiloé” — for its stilt-houses, called “palafitos”.
You will have a whole day ashore to walk around, visit local museums, take pictures of breathtaking views and savour unique “curanto al hoyo”, a traditional seafood dish cooked on hot rocks on the ground.
Here we are going to visit a small town called Achao with a nice sandy beach and beautiful hills around. Achao is known for larch tiling used on the roofs and walls of its houses. The main attraction of the town is the church of Santa María de Loreto. It is constructed entirely of wood and dates back to the 18th century.
Isla Grande de Chiloé, or Chiloé Island is the main island of the archipelago. As it is separated from the Chilean mainland, local traditions have been preserved here. This island offers a combination of amazing landscapes and ancient architecture, namely its wooden churches made entirely in native timber with extensive use of wood shingles. We are going to moor at the city of Castro, the capital of Chiloé. Being Chile’s third oldest city, it has a lot to offer both in terms of historical sights and tourist attractions.
After a long night cruise across the Gulf of Ancud we will reach Caleta Gonzalo which is an entrance to one of the largest national parks in South America, Pumalín Park, and you will have the whole day there to explore the area and enjoy the stunning views.
We will find ourselves sailing along the impressive fjords. We will enter narrow inlets with breathtaking waterfalls and hidden pools of hot thermal water.
The last, but not the least day of our adventure will start at a beautiful beach of Caleta Porcelana — a tiny bay with views on high and steep mountains and a hot stream from the forest creating natural pools of water.