Isla de Chiloé

We had a four-day excursion to the island of Chiloé in Los Lagos region of southern Chile.  This semester's study abroad group flew from Santiago to Puerto Montt early on Thursday and then ferried across to the island.  The weather was unseasonable sunny, distinct from the characteristic rain and clouds.

Day One

ferry crossing

looking back towards Puerto Montt after disembarking the ferry in Chacao, Chiloé

 

spring flowers in someone's yard

algae on the shore during low tide in Chacao

trees in the town square of Chacao

A lookout point en route to Ancud

A beach behind the San Antonio fortress, the last point in Chile under Spanish control

We lunched in a clean, currently unused livestock barn in Ancud

Photo by a fellow CIEE student

A church on Isla Aucar, Island of the Dead, accessed by a pedestrian bridge from the main island of Chiloé

Tocoihue waterfall

Dinner with a beautiful view towards the waterfall

Day Two

Potato field of a small Chilote family on Lemuy Island, Chiloé.  A couple and their two-year-old daughter live there and were gracious enough to show us around their farm.

yellow flowers blooming all over the island

en route to Detif, Lumuy Island to visit a school

en route via boat to Rilan Peninsula

sheep of a family in Rilan.  we had a traditional lunch with them - Pulmay - and got a tour of their small farm

Pulmay, a traditional Chilote meal

There are 286 varieties of potatoes native to Chiloé.  The high cost of wheat flour on the island makes potatoes an especially important part of the diet.  Source (in spanish, via Concha y Toro winery).

that's not a corn field...it's giant Elephant garlic - ajo chilote - that can weigh up to a pound each // Source (via Eating Chilean blog)

Mint tea - té de menta - with agave syrup, made from freshly picked leaves

a flower outside our cabins in Narcón, just south of Castro

low tide in front of our cabins

beach during low tide outside our cabins.  RIP muddy tennis shoes.

Day Three

so photogenic.

museum in Chonchi - Museo de las Tradiciones Chonchinas

old wooden floor of the museum

the beautiful ceiling of a historical church in Chonchi

No al puente - "no to the bridge" - references the controversial bridge being built to join Chiloé Island with mainland Chile, scheduled to be completed in 2020.

Shell on the beach in Chonchi

bay of Chonchi

beach outside Chiloé National Park, where a woman is collecting seafood

accidental photo taken by David Galloway

water droplet about to fall in Chiloé National Park

lots of greenery in Chiloé National Park, where we did a short trek

part of the trek was on a boardwalk, made to be accessible for all levels of physical ability

flower installation outside the café in Chiloé National Park

Day Four

The typical photo from Castro // 25 october

market in Castro

several sea lions swimming by the shore

sea lion snuggles

street art on a shed near the harbor

Artisan Fair in Dalcahue

street dog napping by the bay

king crab

Cheese arrived - llegó queso

the weather turned rainy for the drive to the airport, more typical Chiloé weather than the weekend's sun

double exposure taken in Castro and Chiloé national park // 25 october