The sons of Chono (fishermen-sailors) and Huilliche Indians of agricultural tradition, the inhabitants of Chiloè carry the sea and the land in their blood. An amphibious inheritance that, mingled with the Spanish one, brought forth a culture aware of its reality as an archipelago, built with the noble woods of its forests, and surrounded by rolling fields studded with apple trees. Practically all of its history and culture unrolls at the shores of the inland body of water, the Gulf of Ancud: a coast full of coves and a rough, uneven ground, that is friendlier and more hospitable than that of the Pacific. The startling snow-capped peaks that make up this region's eastern side, tower over deep glacial fjords, lush in their exuberant, green coat of millenary, virgin forests.

It´s Cultural Facets

Curanto: The traditional feast of Chiloè. Cooked in the earth, surrounded in "nalca" leaves on hot stones, this hearty mix of shellfish, fish, pork, chicken and different varieties of Chiloè's potatoes is prepared in layers, mingling the vapors and juices of each of these. This magical mix provides a tingling stimulus to the palate, and is a highlight of a visit to this area.

Living with the Tides: Most villages are located looking out the sea, which not only provides them with food, but also organizes life and links villages to the islands and the archipelago to the continent. For a chilote, his boat is his itinerant home, his Noah's ark, and since childhood he has learned the language of the winds, the clouds, and the tides which continuously transform his home by the sea. At high tide, the boats practically reach the houses' front, and when the tide is low, you can see the ground full of navajuelas, choritos, machas and cholgas which the women and children clloect to make soup, paila marina, empanadas and pulmay.

Palafito and the wooden Shingles: The "palafitos" (stilts) rise like a symbol of this everchanging seashore and the villages invite you to tour the beautiful architecture of shingles; the houses with balconies, balustrades and magnificent doors with a patina laid by humidity and time.

Churches: Hundreds of churches, located in the most improbable corners, bear witness to evangelisation. The same one that filled America with churches from California to Magallanes and that in Chiloè created a kind of religious urbanism that engulfs the archipelago. From the seas, the church towers still are the lighthouses that guide the sailors. There are over 70 churches still are the lighthouses that guide the sailors. There are over 70 churches that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, with their beautiful porticos, altar pieces and ceilings painted with stars.

Mythology

Brujos: The wizards worship the devil and possess strong powers.They can fly with the "macuñ" (sweater) that emits light and turn into animals or birds.

Trauco: An elf-fawn of the woods who chases maidens. Although he is horrible, they find him irresistible and he provokes erotic dreams. Many sons of single mothers are said to be his.

Pincoya: Beautiful goddess dressed in weeds, who dances naked on the waves when there's a full moon. She is responsible for fertility and the scarcity of seas and beaches.

Invunche: His head, set the other way around, and a leg stuck to his backbone. He is the doorman at the wizard's cave.

Fiura: Woman of the woods, very ugly but a seductress. She wears a red dress and with her disgusting breath twists all who reject her.

Caleuche: Illuminated boat that sails when there's fog, from which marvelous music can be heard. The wizards who supply supply traders travel in it.