Chiloe is a large, green, rainy island off the coast of southern Chile, and its wooden churches are among the most unusual in the Americas. In the seventeenth century, Jesuit missionaries arrived to convert the Chono and Huilliche people, and they found a population of skilled carpenters and boatbuilders. The churches that arose from this meeting, built entirely of local timber, with shingles of alerce cypress and pegs instead of nails, combine European plans with the techniques of ship carpentry. About sixteen of them were listed by UNESCO in 2000, and the one at Ichuac is among the most appealing, on the island of Lemuy, a short ferry ride from the main island.
Lemuy is a small, hilly, quiet island, reached by a ferry from Puchilco, near Chonchi, that takes a few minutes. The roads are narrow and mostly gravel, winding between small farms, hedges, sheep and woodland, with views of the channels and the white peaks of the mainland Andes beyond. The churches stand on the shore or on a rise, painted in colours of white, yellow, blue and red, and the interiors have wooden vaulted ceilings that look like the inside of an upturned boat. If a church is closed, ask in the nearest house, because someone usually has the key. The other labels, Detif and Caguach, are on other small islands and show how many churches are scattered across the archipelago.
The ride is not about speed. The roads are rough and sometimes muddy, the rain is frequent, and the weather can turn from sunshine to squall in minutes, so waterproof gear is essential. The gravel can be loose, and animals wander freely. The best months are from December to March, when the days are long and relatively dry, though a downpour is never far away. In winter, the island is wet, dark and very quiet.
Look for the fishermen's stalls selling fresh seafood, and the local dish curanto, a stew of shellfish, meat and potatoes cooked in a hole in the ground. Chiloe is known for hundreds of varieties of potato, and you can taste several of them in a single meal.