Tierra Chiloé

Today is a sample itinerary that includes a selection of the explorations on offer at Tierra Chiloé. This day is completely customizable.

AM: Our Bartender will welcome you with a Signature Cocktail Lesson. Taste our local liquors made out of murta and calafate and discover the unique Sirena vodka, which is hand crafted from heirloom Chilote potatoes. Learn about local ingredients and try some of the barman’s creations: Nalca Sour and the characteristic Ulmo Sour: a unique drink of Chilean pisco and local Ulmo honey.

PM: After lunch at the hotel, enjoy an activity that is alive and fundamental to this day for the Chilote family. We will wait until the tide is low to collect many types of seafood, especially clams. It will connect us vividly to the experience of ocean life. We will take our catch to the kitchen and enjoy a fresh seafood delight.

When evening comes, our chef makes the local specialty, the traditional “curanto”. This celebratory preparation -which is often accompanied by a live accordion player, is done in a hole, in contact with mother earth. It cooks slowly on hot rocks stacked with choritos (a local bivalve), meat, native potatoes, and sausages. Chapaleles and milcaos (types of potato bread) must also be added and, on top, nalca leaves are placed, allowing the ingredients to steam cook. Enjoy your meal and learn about this ritual with the local farmers and fishermen.

Today is a sample itinerary that includes a selection of the explorations on offer at Tierra Chiloé. This day is completely customizable.

AM: Our day begins by boarding the ferry to Quinchao Island, a quiet village that once a year transforms, receiving hundreds of tourists for one of the archipelago’s most important religious festivals. We will head toward Achao, the island capital, and walk along its bay until arriving at the church. Depending on the time of year, we will see the work of local artisans.

After that we will head to Curaco de Vélez with its more than 100-year-old houses whose colorful shingles continue to delight. We will taste freshly caught local oysters, widely known for their fresh and mineral flavor. There we will visit a local organic farm owned by Sandra, a Williche woman who has preserved ancestral farming techniques. We will have a typical Chilote lunch with her and learn about the work of local farmers and their famous crops of native potato and giant garlic.

PM: In the afternoon we will take a trip by land to Dalcahue, to which artisans travel every weekend from the farthest islands to sell their weavings, baskets and woodwork at the age-old traditional market. Here we will enjoy the typical delight of this area: seafood turnovers. Upon our arrival to the hotel, we will enjoy a Chilean wine tasting accompanied by local snacks.

Today is a sample itinerary that includes a selection of the explorations on offer at Tierra Chiloé. This day is completely customizable.

AM: Chiloé’s surrounding, smaller islands are a treasure trove of wildlife and cultural heritage waiting to be discovered. Begin with a short tour of Tenaún, a quaint port town of few residents which has a striking central church.

Boarding the boat in Tenaún, a windswept 45-minute voyage will take you to the Chauques archipelago, a beautiful maze of interconnecting waterways and landmasses. Mechuque is our first stop.

PM: Your afternoon can then be spent kayaking the serene canals of Chauques, as local ancestors did centuries ago, or taking the relatively easy hike up the Mechuque viewpoint, the perfect place for enchanting panoramic views of this picturesque island network. On our way back, we will taste some fresh oysters from the Chauques Islands.

As soon as we arrive to the hotel, we will ride or travel by car to the town of San José to witness the ritual of the Chochoca. This traditional food, which is part of Chiloé Archipielago cultural heritage, consists of native mashed potato mixed with flour and pork fat, plastered onto a long, thick wooden pole and cooked over an open fire.

Today is a sample itinerary that includes a selection of the explorations on offer at Tierra Chiloé. This day is completely customizable.

AM: Before taking your transfer back to the airport, why not spend your last moments at Tierra Chiloé enjoying a self-guided walk or taking the time for last photo opportunities around the peninsula.

If you want to explore more of this area, we recommend booking a complementary night at Puerto Varas. Located in the heart of the Lake District, this town makes for a fantastic addition to any adventure trip to Chiloé.

Today is a sample itinerary that includes a selection of the explorations on offer at Tierra Chiloé. This day is completely customizable.

AM: The beating heart of Chiloé lies in the island’s principal city of Castro. Its unique stilt houses, traditional churches and authentic craft markets make it the perfect start to your Chiloé adventure. This 16th century former stronghold of Chilean governance is shrouded in history and cultural influences.

We begin with a visit to the colorful Mercado Yumbel, a vibrant market full of local produce, freshly caught fish and rustic woven wares. From Yumbel, walk down to admire the town’s iconic stilt houses. The streets of the bay will lead you to Castro’s central church of San Francisco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and nod towards the town’s 500-year old roots. No exploration would be complete without visiting the shipyards and carpentry school, an integral part of the island’s economy and cultural heritage.

PM: After lunch at the hotel, spend the afternoon either unwinding in the Uma Spa or discover the lodge grounds, orchards and gardens and the seashore before planning tomorrow’s activities with our guides.

Today is a sample itinerary that includes a selection of the explorations on offer at Tierra Chiloé. This day is completely customizable.

AM: The smaller, surrounding islands and islets of Chiloé are a treasure trove of wildlife, cultural heritage and scenery simply waiting to be discovered. Mechuque, in the Chauque Isles, is one of the loveliest. Boarding our boat – the Williche – a windswept 45-minute voyage will take you to the Chauques archipelago, a maze of interconnecting waterways and landmasses, with the town of Mechuque as our first stop.

PM: In the afternoon kayak through the serene canals of Chauques or walk up to the Mechuque viewpoint, before returning to Tierra Chiloé.

Today is a sample itinerary that includes a selection of the explorations on offer at Tierra Chiloé. This day is completely customizable.

AM: The journey to the starting point of this hike takes you along the scenic shores of Huillinco Lake until you arrive at the beach of Cucao. There is a short drive south along the coast before the walk starts. At the beginning, the going is easy, through low-hanging trees stunted by the wind. You’ll continue through hilly terrain in the open, accompanied by native seabirds. You eventually arrive at the cliffs, where the coastal trail overlooks the ocean.

The “Muelle de las Almas” or Pier of Souls is perched above the sea, leading nowhere. Crafted by a local artist and sculptor, Chumono, the pier plays homage to the legend of the boatman Tempilcahue who takes the souls of the dead to their final resting place in the afterlife.

PM: We have a picnic lunch here and climb a nearby cliff to view the the resident sea lion colony below. Following the hike back to the van, we return to the hotel by the same lakeside road.

Today is a sample itinerary that includes a selection of the explorations on offer at Tierra Chiloé. This day is completely customizable.

AM: Our day begins by boarding the ferry to Quinchao and heading toward Achao, the island capital. After a walk along its bay and a visitit to its historic church, we will meet Sandra Naiman -a charming Williche woman, who will tell us about her organic orchard, the work of local farmers and their famous crops of native potato and giant garlic.

PM: After a delicious lunch, we will head to Curaco de Vélez with its more than 100-year-old houses whose colorful shingles continue to delight. We will then travel by land to Dalcahue, to which artisans travel every weekend from the farthest islands to sell their weavings, baskets and woodwork at the age-old traditional market.

Today is a sample itinerary that includes a selection of the explorations on offer at Tierra Chiloé. This day is completely customizable.

AM: Before taking your transfer back to the airport, why not spend your last moments at Tierra Chiloé making the most of Uma Spa, enjoying a self-guided walk or taking the time for last photo opportunities around the peninsula.