Why this ride
From Chonchi it runs 296 km to Chonchi; allow about 7 h 09 of riding. On the way it passes Church of Quinchao, Church of Colo and back through Church of Quinchao. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Church of Ichuac and Church of Colo
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 296 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 7 h 09
- 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 Ichuac
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.
Read the complete Church of Ichuac write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of Ichuac is where the day begins. Next is Church of Quinchao.
2. Church of Quinchao
Chiloé is an island of wooden churches, and the one at Achao on Quinchao island is the oldest of the survivors. The Church of Santa María de Loreto was built in the eighteenth century by Jesuit missionaries and local carpenters, using native timber, cypress and larch, joined with wooden pegs and not a single iron nail. The facade has a long portico with a tower, and the interior, with its vaulted ceiling shaped like an upturned boat hull, shows the skill of the island's shipbuilders. The Churches of Chiloé are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and this is one of the stars.
Read the complete Church of Quinchao write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of Quinchao comes up about 81 km into the recorded legs. Next is Church of Colo.
3. Church of Colo
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.
Read the complete Church of Colo write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 148 km into the recorded legs you reach Church of Colo. Next is back through Church of Quinchao.
4. back through Church of Quinchao
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Church of Quinchao 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 Quinchao, late in the day. Next is Church of Ichuac.
5. Church of Ichuac
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Church of Ichuac write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Church of Ichuac. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Church of Ichuac to Church of Quinchao
Church of Ichuac → Church of Quinchao is 81 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Quinchao to Church of Colo
Church of Quinchao → Church of Colo is 67 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Colo to back through Church of Quinchao
Church of Colo → back through Church of Quinchao is 68 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Church of Quinchao to Church of Ichuac
back through Church of Quinchao → Church of Ichuac is 80 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.