In this complete guide to travel to Chiloe, you will find all the information you need to plan your trip to this incredible island in Chilean Patagonia.
Chiloé is a large archipelago located in the Chilean Patagonia with plenty of activities to do and enjoy. The Isla Grande de Chiloé is the most visited of them. It has national parks, beaches, small rural towns that preserve the old traditions, the construction of houses on pillars in the water called palafitos and the famous churches that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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Location, travel to Chiloe
Chiloé is an archipelago located in the Region of Los Lagos, in the centre-south of Chile. The Isla Grande de Chiloé, the largest of this group of islands, is usually visited.
Getting to Chiloé
Since Chiloé is an island, there are several ways to travel to Chiloe:
– Travel to Chiloe by plane
Castro, the main city on the island of Chiloé, can be reached by plane from Santiago de Chile. LATAM Airlines has four flights a week and the flight time is two hours.
✈️ Check here for cheap flights to Castro (Chiloé).
You can also travel to Puerto Montt, from where you can hire a car to explore the area.
✈️ Check here for cheap flights to Puerto Montt.
🚘 Check here for transfers from the airport to your hotel in downtown Puerto Montt.
– Travel to Chiloe by bus
Another option is travelling to Chiloe by bus from Santiago de Chile or Puerto Montt:
- From Santiago de Chile: it takes about 17 hours, the bus makes the journey overnight, arriving in the cities of Ancud and Castro in the morning. The bus companies that make the trip are Queilen Bus, Cruz del Sur and Buses ETM.
- From Puerto Montt: here there are more frequent buses to the island of Chiloé and there are many companies that provide the service. There is also the option of taking a plane or bus from Santiago to Puerto Montt and then from here the bus to Chiloe.
– Travelling to Chiloe by car or rental car
If you are travelling by car, the easiest way to get to Chiloe is from the north, via Puerto Montt. Note that as it is an island, you have to take a ferry across the Chacao Channel.
🚗 Check here if you want to rent a car in Puerto Montt.
The ferry sailing takes about 25 minutes and costs CLP$ 12,900 for the full car in 2021. Timetables and prices can be found on the Naviera Cruz del Sur website (in Spanish).
To consult how much it costs in dollars or euros, we have an online converter (you can also check in your country currency):
– Getting to Chiloe by ferry
If you are travelling along the Carretera Austral, there is a ferry option to get to the island, for both cars and people, from Puerto Chacabuco, Chaitén or Puerto Cisnes to the port of Quellón, in the south of the island of Chiloé. For information on prices and departure days check the Naviera Austral website (in Spanish).
– Travel to Chiloe on an excursion from Puerto Montt
If you have little time on your trip, you have the option of taking a day trip from Puerto Montt to the Isla Grande de Chiloé, where you can visit Chacao, Castro and Dalcahue.
📷 Have a look at this excursion to Chiloe Island from Puerto Montt with a local agency and make your reservation.
Best time to travel to Chiloe Island
The best time to travel to Chiloe is during the summer (November to March) when the weather is pleasant in the afternoon with temperatures around 15-20 degrees Celsius and cool nights. This is the time of year when there is the least rainfall in the region. February is also the time of year when the traditional festivals are held in the island’s villages, a spectacle not to be missed.
From April onwards and throughout the winter, the rains are persistent and the temperature drops significantly, always below 10 degrees Celsius during the day.
From September onwards, the temperature begins to rise slowly, although it doesn’t rise above 10 degrees Celsius during the day until December.
Getting around Isla Grande de Chiloe
There are numerous public buses that connect the two main cities of the island, Castro and Ancud. From Castro, located in the central area of the island and the largest city, there are numerous buses to visit the most touristic points of Chiloé, such as Dalcahué, Cucao, Chonchi, Quellón.
Accommodation in Chiloe Island
🏨 Check here where to sleep in Chiloé Island and get your ideal accommodation.
Chiloe Island must-see sights and attractions
- Top 5 things to do in Chiloe Island
- Other attractions to visit in Chiloe Island
– Activities to do in Chiloe Island
- Bird watching
- Trekking in the Chiloé National Park
- Visit the penguin colony of Puñihuil in Ancud
- Sailing through the Queilen Channel and Conejo Islet
📷 Take a look at these tours in Chiloe Island with a local agency. Book your place!
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