Chonchi is a small port town on the east coast of Chiloe, built on a steep hillside above the channel, and locals sometimes call it the city of three floors, because its streets climb in terraces from the waterfront to the plaza and the church above. The church of San Carlos de Borromeo, painted in warm yellow and red and crowned with a tall tower, was built in the nineteenth century, in the typical style of the island, and it dominates the square. Inside, it has the characteristic wooden columns and a ceiling like the hull of a ship, and the interior smells of old timber and wax.
It forms part of the UNESCO group of the Churches of Chiloe, and gives a good sense of how important these buildings were to the community. For centuries, the missionaries visited the scattered villages by boat, and the local people, organised in lay groups, kept the churches going, maintained them and held the festivals of the saints. The tradition of the minga, in which a whole community moves a house or a building across the land, using oxen and logs, is still remembered here. Chonchi was also a centre of the Chilote timber trade, and the old houses on the main street, covered with wooden shingles, are charming.
Chonchi is a good base for riding. The main road on Chiloe, Route 5, is the southern end of the Pan-American Highway, and runs from the ferry at Chacao in the north through Ancud and Castro down to Quellon, with a smooth surface and views of the sea, hills and farms. Side roads lead to little fishing villages, with stilt houses called palafitos and quiet beaches, and are mostly gravel. The ferry from Chonchi to Lemuy leaves from nearby. Weather is the main issue, with frequent rain and wind, and even the best summer days can turn grey and wet.
Fuel is available in Chonchi, and Castro, the capital of the island, seventeen kilometres to the north, has larger supermarkets, hotels and restaurants. Try the local seafood, such as mussels, clams and salmon, and the milcao, a potato bread, and warm yourself with a strong cup of tea or coffee. Respect the churches as places of worship, dress simply, and ask before taking photographs inside.