Why this ride
On the way it passes Church of Dalcahue, Church of Vilupulli and back through Church of Dalcahue. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Church of Quinchao and Church of Vilupulli
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 139 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 01
- 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.
Scenic road chapters
Chiloe Island Route
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 32 km this is Chiloe Island Route, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 32 km
- Named road
- Chiloe Island Route
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Church of Dalcahue.
2. 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
Church of Dalcahue comes up about 32 km into the recorded legs. Next is Church of Vilupulli.
3. 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
about 70 km into the recorded legs you reach Church of Vilupulli. Next is back through Church of Dalcahue.
4. 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
back through Church of Dalcahue, late in the day. Next is Church of Quinchao.
5. 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 at Church of Quinchao. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Church of Quinchao to Church of Dalcahue
Church of Quinchao → Church of Dalcahue is 32 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Dalcahue to Church of Vilupulli
Church of Dalcahue → Church of Vilupulli is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Church of Vilupulli to back through Church of Dalcahue
Church of Vilupulli → back through Church of Dalcahue is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Church of Dalcahue to Church of Quinchao
back through Church of Dalcahue → Church of Quinchao is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.