Colo is one of the quiet places of Chiloé that most visitors never reach, a small settlement on the eastern side of the big island, with a wooden church on a rise above the water. It belongs to the family of churches that the Jesuits and local carpenters created in the colonial and early republic periods, and which UNESCO protects together. Their charm is simple. A front porch of columns, a tower with an octagonal top and a roof like an upturned boat. Inside, the nave is a hull of curved timbers, the ceilings painted with stars or sky, the altars carved by local hands. They were built without nails in some cases, using wooden pegs, and the big planks were cut by axe.
What I can say is that the churches of this part of the island are linked to a communal tradition, with annual festivals and a body of people who maintain the buildings, called fiscales, who look after the keys and the services. If the church is open, step in quietly, and if it is closed, the porch and the setting are rewarding enough, with the green hill, the sea beyond and the smell of woodsmoke from the nearby farms.
The road from Dalcahue, a market town across the water from the island of Quinchao, runs south through farmland and woods, along the coast and over low rises. The asphalt is good in places, and in others replaced by gravel, with rain turning ruts into puddles and mud in winter. Traffic is light and mostly local, with farm trucks, cattle and the occasional horse. Distances are modest, but weather decides everything, and it is wise to plan extra time. Summer, from December to March, is the driest and warmest period, though you should still pack waterproofs.
Dalcahue, twenty-four kilometres away, has a ferry terminal, fuel, a Sunday craft market with woollens and baskets, and several seafood restaurants, so fill up there. Beyond it, supplies thin out and shops are small. Cash is useful, and a flask of something hot is welcome. Respect private land and farm gates, as many of the small chapels sit on or near working property, and a smile and a greeting go a long way with the people of the island.