To visit Chiloé National Park and Muelle de las Almas is one of the activities to do if you come to this archipelago in southern Chile, full of hiking trails to get into the purest nature.
It is the largest protected area of the island, which includes many kilometers of forests and the coastal area with its cliffs, beaches with dunes and the rough Pacific Ocean.
Both Chiloé National Park and its neighboring Tepuhueico Park are ideal places for trekking and discovering treasures such as the Souls’ Pier and the Pier of Time.
🔎 Check here the quide to travel to Chiloé Island.
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Things to do in Chiloé National Park
If you are visiting Chiloé National Park, there are many natural attractions to see and it is an excellent place for hiking through the native forests and along the west coast. Among the attractions is Cole Cole Beach.
In addition, in the National Park you can see native fauna such as the Chiloé fox, arboreal mice, monito del monte, mole mice, sea otters and the Magellanic penguin. There is also a great diversity of birds.
Outside the National Park but equally attractive for tourists is the Muelle de las Almas, a place we recommend a visit and we explain below how to get there.
🔎 Check here the top 5 things to do in Chiloe Island.
Getting to Chiloé National Park
If you are going to visit Chiloé National Park you should know that there are several entry points to the protected area, but only one is the most frequented and accessible by public transportation:
- Cucao-Chanquín area: this is the most frequent entrance to the park. If you leave from Castro, take Route 5 southbound and then take the detour at the Notuco crossroads to Cucao. It is about 55 kilometers in total and takes about an hour and a half to get there. The entire route is completely paved. It is the entrance to the park where public transportation and tours arrive.
- Chepu area: This is the closest entrance to the park to Ancud. You must take Route 5 to the south, continue on a gravel road to Puerto Anguay, and then embark to cross the river and walk about 14 km along a coastal path. As you can read, it takes even longer than taking the route from Ancud to the entrance to Cucao.
- Abtao area: enter the park from Castro to the north on Route 5 to Llau Llao, turn west to cross the Chilcón River and finally arrive at Pichihue. From here it is an 8 to 10 hour walk to get there.
Hiking trails in Chiloé National Park
There are many hiking trails to do if you are visiting Chiloé National Park. From the entrance gate of Cucao, there are trails of low physical difficulty that can be done with children and have a maximum duration of one hour.
Then there are trails of longer duration, among which the following stand out:
- Chanquín-Cole cole trail: this is the one that most people do. It extends from the entrance gate to the National Park to the Cole Cole sector, with the impressive and extensive beach surrounded by dunes that is worth visiting. You have to walk about 20 kilometers from one end to the other and the duration is five hours.
- Cole-Cole River-Anay river trail: passing the Cole Cole sector, this trail leads to the mouth of the Anay River in the sea. It is 6 kilometers long and lasts three hours.
- Chanquín-Rancho Grande trail: 14 kilometers and 6 hours to enter the heart of Chiloé National Park.
- Chanquín-Rancho Grande-Río Deñal trail: similar to the previous trail, but 20 kilometers long and 7 hours long.
📷 Book the excursion to Muelle de las Almas and the Chiloé National Park from Chonchi with a local agency.
Muelle de las Almas (Souls’ Pier)
Whoever comes to visit the Chiloé National Park should not miss a visit to the Muelle de las Almas, not only for the beauty of the landscape that surrounds it but also for the history behind it. It is not located inside the Chiloé National Park, but it is south of Cucao.
Who devised this beautiful wooden walkway that seems to get lost in the Pacific Ocean is the artist Marcelo Orellana Rivera. His inspiration was a legend originating on the island of Chiloé itself, according to which the souls of the deceased travel to the world of the souls departing from a pier.
– Location of the Muelle de las Almas (map)
– How to get to Muelle de las Almas (Souls’ Pier)
You can take one of the hiking trails of several kilometers and hours or you can also drive to a private parking lot and walk a trail of only 2 km (45 minutes) to reach the pier. Before arriving, there is a booth where you will be charged an entrance fee of CLP$ 3,000.
To get to the Muelle de las Almas by car, you have to go to Cucao and from there take route W-848 south for about 8 km. You will reach a parking lot that is open from 9 am to 7 pm and charges a one-time fee of CLP$ 3,000 per car.
Muelle del Tiempo (Time`s Pier)
The Muelle del Tiempo is beginning to gain fame on the island of Chiloé and to compete with the Muelle de las Almas.
With a wooden structure similar to the Almas pier but in the shape of a snail, it is also a very photogenic place to contemplate the cliffs, the ocean and the cliffs that emerge from the sea. The scenery is truly breathtaking.
– How to get to the Muelle del Tiempo
In a vehicle other than a 4×4, it is advisable to start the hike from the car park of the Almas Pier. The hike is long, about 10 kilometres in total round trip, through a beautiful forest and dune trail, until you reach the Muelle del Tiempo.
At the beginning of the trail is the entrance hut to Tepuhueico Park, where you have to pay 5,000 Chilean pesos per person.
You can access Tepuhueico Park in a 4×4 vehicle (paying 6,000 Chilean pesos for the car) and leave it in the car park closest to the Tiempo pier, where the trail begins. The road is gravel and sandy, so it is not recommended to do it in a vehicle other than a 4×4. In total you will walk 4 kilometres there and back, which significantly reduces the walking time.
Another option is to hire an excursion to Tepuhueico Park, which includes access to the park, guide and trekking to Quilán beach with its dunes and the Tiempo pier.
Is it possible to do the Muelle del Tiempo y de las Almas on the same day?
Of course, but you have to bear in mind that it is quite a long walk, we are talking about two hours round trip to Muelle de las Almas, and another three hours round trip to Muelle del Tiempo.
Can Muelle de las Almas and Muelle del Tiempo be reached by public transport?
Yes, and it is quite easy. There is a minibus service that leaves from the Castro terminal to the village of Cucao, and then another minibus from Cucao that stops at the car park of the Almas pier and at the access to the Tepuhueico park, for those who want to go to the Tiempo pier. This is sold together for 10,000 Chilean pesos without the entrances to the piers included.
Minibuses from Castro station to Cucao leave every hour from 8:30am. From Cucao to Castro the last bus leaves at 7pm.
The minibuses from Cucao to the docks leave at 11am and 1pm, and may return to Cucao at 2.30pm or 4.30pm.
In any case, we recommend you be there at least half an hour before departure as seats are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis and in high season you may not be able to get a seat. In Cucao, as soon as you get off the bus from Castro, it is advisable to reserve a seat to go to the docks.
Tips for trekking along the Almas and Tiempo Pier
In both cases it is advisable to wear shoes suitable for trekking, sunscreen, bring food and plenty of water as there are no places to buy them on the trails.
If you arrive by car to the car park of the Almas Wharf, be careful on the road leading from the town of Cucao, as its condition is not optimal. Also, we do not recommend accessing Tepuhueico Park in a vehicle other than a 4×4 because the ground is very unstable.
Lodging and services in Chiloé National Park
Important to keep in mind if you are going to visit Chiloé National Park is where to eat and stay if you want to spend the night within the protected area.
The area with the best infrastructure is Cucao-Chanquín. There are picnic tables, a cafeteria where you can have a drink or a snack, and a campsite where you can spend the night.
If you get to Cole Cole beach there is another campsite for the night, but with little infrastructure and where you have to bring water to drink and food.
🏨 Check here where to stay in Chiloe Island and get your ideal accommodation.
Entrance fee to visit Chiloé National Park (2026)
| Chileans | Foreigners |
|---|---|
| Adults(1) CLP$ 3.900 | Adults CLP$ 8.200 |
| Children between 12 and 17 years old(1) CLP$ 2.800 | Children between 12 and 17 years old(2) CLP$ 4.500 |
(2) Children under 11 years old, foreigners: Free
Location (map)
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