Churches of Chiloé and Churgh of Caguach

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Churches of Chiloé

   Chiloé is a large, rain-washed island off the coast of southern Chile, a place of mist, green hills, wooden houses on stilts and a culture of its own. The Spanish Jesuits arrived in the seventeenth century, and with few resources they trained local carpenters, who built churches out of native timber using the shipbuilding skills of the islanders. The result is a collection of wooden churches with pitched roofs, covered porches and towers, covered in shingles of alerce or cypress, many painted in bright blue, yellow or white. Sixteen of them are listed by UNESCO, and the town of Castro has one of the grandest, the San Francisco church, built in the early twentieth century, yellow outside and in warm varnished wood inside.

   Read the complete Churches of Chiloé write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Churches of Chiloé is where the day begins. Next is Church of Achao.

2. 2. Church of Achao

   Chiloé is an island of rain, green hills and wooden churches, off the coast of southern Chile, and the church of Achao, on the small island of Quinchao, is the oldest of them. Built in the eighteenth century by Jesuit missionaries and local carpenters, it is made entirely of wood, joined with wooden pegs instead of nails, and its interior is painted in soft blues and whites, with a vaulted ceiling and carved altars. It is one of the sixteen churches of Chiloé inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

   Read the complete Church of Achao write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Church of Achao comes up about 41 km into the recorded legs. Next is Church of Tenaún.

3. 3. Church of Tenaún

   Out on the eastern coast of Chiloé, where the island looks across a channel at the smaller islands of the inner sea and, on a clear day, the snowy volcanoes of the mainland, the village of Tenaún gathers around a wooden church that looks almost too bold for its setting. The façade is painted deep blue, scattered with white stars, and topped not with one but with three towers. It is one of the sixteen churches of Chiloé on the World Heritage list, masterpieces of a unique tradition of wooden architecture.

   Read the complete Church of Tenaún write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 98 km into the recorded legs you reach Church of Tenaún. Next is Churgh of Caguach.

4. 4. back through Church of Tenaún

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Church of Tenaún 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 Tenaún sits at 113 km, about halfway. Next is back through Church of Achao.

5. 5. back through Church of Achao

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Church of Achao 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 Achao comes up about 156 km into the recorded legs. Next is Churches of Chiloé.

6. 6. Churches of Chiloé

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Churches of Chiloé write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Churches of Chiloé closes the day.