Castro is the capital of the province of Chiloé, and the third oldest town in Chile. The Spanish Conquistadores took possession of the archipelago in 1567, and the town was founded by Martín Ruiz de Gamboa, who named the river after his surname and called the future town Santiago de Castro in honour of the Apostol Santiago and of the acting Viceroy of Peru, Lope García de Castro.
Today the town is famous for its houses on wooden stilts standing on the sea shore, which seem to be sailing when the tide is high. It has a very attractive handicrafts market which is within walking distance and offers wood and wool crafts. The streets of Castro are easy to walk along, most of the houses are made of larch wood; the town is a showcase of the culture and lifestyle of the chilotes who have settled in the archipelago The Castro Church on the main square is a colourful wood structure; its interior, which is lined in wood, is of an astonishing beauty.
The Chiloé archipelago has 33 islands, all of which are inhabited and farmed by Chilotes. We will see many of them during our Skorpios tour: Quenac, Apiao, Caguache, etc., as they have always been called by their Huilliche and Chono names.
Chiloé is a land of myths and legends like the trauco and the ghost ship “Caleuche”; a land of seafood, apple cider and potatoes. It is estimated that there are approximately 100 different varieties of potatoes in the area.
The channels of Chiloé are transparently clean and abound in shellfish. Today they are sailed by modern launches that have replaced the old Chilote sailing crafts.
Castro and Chiloe Map
360° Panoramas
