Why this ride
From Chonchi it runs 177 km to Chonchi; allow about 6 h 21 of riding. The stops in between: Church of Chonchi, Church of Chelín, Church of Vilupulli and back through Church of Chelín.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Church of Detif and Church of Vilupulli
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 177 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 6 h 21
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Church of Detif
Of all the islands of the Chiloé archipelago, Lemuy is one of the quietest, and the church at Detif, at its far eastern end, stands almost alone on a grassy slope above the sea, with a few houses scattered around and the islands of the inner sea on the horizon. It is one of the sixteen wooden Churches of Chiloé listed as a World Heritage site, built in the late nineteenth century of native wood, with a simple façade, an arcade at the front and a tower rising above the entrance. The interior is equally simple and beautiful, and the church is cared for by the local community, which still uses it for services and festivals, such as the feast of its patron saint.
Read the complete Church of Detif write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of Detif is where the day begins. Next is Church of Chonchi.
2. Church of Chonchi
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.
Read the complete Church of Chonchi write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of Chonchi comes up about 33 km into the recorded legs. Next is Church of Chelín.
3. Church of Chelín
Getting to Chelín is part of the pleasure, because it lies on Lemuy, a small island off Chiloé's east coast reached by a short ferry. From Chonchi the crossing is quick, and the vehicles line up on a ramp, with the sea bright and often choppy. Lemuy is a rolling island of small farms, potato fields, sheep and hedged lanes, with a population that is mostly spread over small settlements. There are no big towns here at all, and fuel is not something to count on, so fill up in Chonchi, about 21 km away by the map, before you cross.
Read the complete Church of Chelín write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 59 km into the recorded legs you reach Church of Chelín. Next is Church of Vilupulli.
4. Church of Vilupulli
On the island of Chiloé, in southern Chile, the churches are made of wood, and the whole archipelago has been built around that fact. Vilupulli is one of the sixteen churches that UNESCO lists as an exceptional example of a local tradition, combining European ideas with the shipbuilding skills of Chilote carpenters. Jesuit missionaries arrived in the seventeenth century and planned a circuit of chapels, and after they were expelled the communities kept them going, with local families caring for the buildings and holding festivals. The result is a string of timber churches with plank walls, shingled towers and painted interiors, each in a fishing village or on a quiet inlet.
Read the complete Church of Vilupulli write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of Vilupulli, about halfway. Next is back through Church of Chelín.
5. back through Church of Chelín
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Church of Chelín write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Church of Chelín sits at 113 km, about halfway. Next is back through Church of Chonchi.
6. back through Church of Chonchi
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Church of Chonchi write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Church of Chonchi comes up about 145 km into the recorded legs. Next is Church of Detif.
7. Church of Detif
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Church of Detif write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of Detif closes the day.
Leg by leg
Church of Detif to Church of Chonchi
Church of Detif → Church of Chonchi is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Chonchi to Church of Chelín
Church of Chonchi → Church of Chelín is 26 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Chelín to Church of Vilupulli
Church of Chelín → Church of Vilupulli is 30 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Vilupulli to back through Church of Chelín
Church of Vilupulli → back through Church of Chelín is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Church of Chelín to back through Church of Chonchi
back through Church of Chelín → back through Church of Chonchi is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Church of Chonchi to Church of Detif
back through Church of Chonchi → Church of Detif is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.