Chiloe, the strange island
Sitting on the terrace of a "palafito", one of numerous houses on stilts that dot the island of Chiloe, an Argentine woman in her sixties sips a fizzy drink while contemplating the painted facades of the frame houses reflecting in the water. "I come from Buenos Aires", she says. "But I have lived in Chiloe for several years. Between the two, I have no hesitation. I prefer Chiloe".
Difficult to explain the power of attraction of this vast island in southern Chile, an area just north of the glaciers and fjords of the continent's southernmost tip. The landscape, which is very similar to the Galicia region of Spain, is somewhat banal. The weather can be very pleasant in the southern summer. But everything changes when fog banks suddenly rise from the sea. The ghost-like appearance of an oxcart in the mist that shrouds a distant beach is an eerie experience.
Chiloe is a strange island which has managed to elude the modern world. No airport and no bridge to link it to the mainland. You have to board a ferry with your car in order to explore Castro and its coloured wooden houses on stilts or discover turquoise water bays in the Ancud area which could make you believe, for a moment, that you are in Asia. Except that the water is bitterly cold, at least by European standards.
Some stay on the island for just one day, others two or three days, which are more than enough to visit the whole place. And there are some who succomb to the island's charm and decide to make it their home.
An ideal base to explore Chiloe in one day is the town of Puerto Varas, about 100 kilometres from the mainland port where ferries sail to the island. Voyages-Voyages recommends hotel Patagonico whose rooms have a magnificent view of lake Llanquihue.
On the island itself, a hotel has recently opened in the district of Castro where the famed houses on stilts are located. It is called the Palafito. Its rooms are comfortable and the prices reasonable (just under 100 euros per night). A small kitchen is available in the rooms for those who plan to stay several days.
