Why this ride
From Chonchi it runs 525 km to Chonchi; allow about 12 h 57 of riding. The stops in between: Church of Quinchao, Church of Dalcahue, Church of Chelín and Church of San Juan. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Church of Ichuac and Church of San Juan
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 525 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 12 h 57
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. 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.
Scenic road chapters
Chiloe Island Route
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 34 km this is Chiloe Island Route, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 33 km
- Named road
- Chiloe Island Route
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 36 km in. Next is Church of Dalcahue.
3. Church of Dalcahue
Chiloé is a damp, green island off the coast of southern Chile, and its wooden churches are its soul. The Church of Dalcahue stands on the waterfront of a small town on the eastern side of the island, facing the inner sea and the islands of the archipelago, with a long arcaded porch along its front and a tall tower rising above. Built entirely of wood, with shingles cut from native trees, it is one of sixteen churches inscribed in 2000 as the Churches of Chiloé.
Read the complete Church of Dalcahue write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
73 km in you reach Church of Dalcahue. Next is Church of Chelín.
4. 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
Church of Chelín, about halfway. Next is Church of San Juan.
5. Church of San Juan
San Juan is a tiny village on a sheltered inlet on the east coast of Chiloé, the big green island off the coast of southern Chile, and its wooden church stands right by the water, painted white with a tall tower, looking out over the boats moored in the channel. It is one of the sixteen Churches of Chiloé on the World Heritage list, a unique school of wooden architecture that grew out of the Jesuit missions of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and was continued by the Franciscans and the islanders themselves. The churches were built by local carpenters using native woods, with techniques borrowed from boat building, and many of them are covered in wooden shingles. Inside, the vaulted ceilings often look like the hull of an upturned ship.
Read the complete Church of San Juan write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Church of San Juan sits at 145 km, about halfway. Next is back through Church of Chelín.
6. Back to 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 through Church of Chelín comes up 181 km in. Next is back through Church of Dalcahue.
7. back through Church of Dalcahue
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Church of Dalcahue write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
218 km in you reach back through Church of Dalcahue. Next is back through Church of Quinchao.
8. 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.
9. 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
The route ends here after 290 km.
Leg by leg
Church of Ichuac to Church of Quinchao
Church of Ichuac → Church of Quinchao is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Quinchao to Church of Dalcahue
Church of Quinchao → Church of Dalcahue is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Dalcahue to Church of Chelín
Church of Dalcahue → Church of Chelín is 35 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Chelín to Church of San Juan
Church of Chelín → Church of San Juan is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of San Juan to Back to Church of Ichuac
Church of San Juan → Back to Church of Ichuac is 47 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Church of Dalcahue to back through Church of Quinchao
back through Church of Dalcahue → back through Church of Quinchao is 33 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 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.