Chiloé, the big island off the coast of southern Chile, is a place of rain, mist, green fields and sheep, and its most distinctive treasure is its wooden churches. More than a hundred and fifty were built, mostly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and sixteen of them were listed by UNESCO in 2000. The Jesuits began the tradition in the seventeenth century, when they travelled around the archipelago by boat, holding mass in chapels in each community, and after they were expelled in 1767, the local people kept the tradition going on their own, with carpenters and shipbuilders who knew how to work wood.
The church of Nercón, near Castro, is one of the best known. Like the others, it is built from native timber and covered in tiny wooden shingles, laid in patterns that look like fish scales, and painted in simple colours, so that it glows against the dark green of the hills. The facade has a tower and a portico with arches, and the interior is surprisingly airy, with a ceiling in the form of an upturned boat, a reminder of the skills of the island's boat builders. Its style dates from the late nineteenth century. Joints are fixed with wooden pegs and few nails, and the churches have survived earthquakes that destroyed buildings of stone.
Castro, the island's capital, is a few kilometres away, and is famous for its palafitos, houses on stilts along the water, painted in bright colours. The local food is hearty and centred on the sea: curanto, a feast of shellfish, meat and potatoes cooked in a pit with hot stones, is the classic dish, and the potato, which originated in the archipelago according to local tradition, comes in dozens of varieties.
The ride here is lovely. To reach Chiloé from the mainland you take a short ferry across the Chacao Channel, and then follow Route 5, the Panamericana, down the island through rolling farmland, with the sea always close. The road is paved and quite good, with side roads of gravel leading to the churches on the coast. The weather is the main thing: it rains much of the year, the wind can be strong, and fog is common, so waterproof gear is essential. The best months are from December to March, when days are long and mild, but showers can arrive at any time.
Castro, a town of nearly thirty thousand, has fuel pumps, restaurants and hotels, and Chonchi and Dalcahue, both smaller, have shops and cafes. Churches are usually open in the summer season, though sometimes only for a few hours, and a small donation is appreciated.