Reservations 877·97·CRAFT  (877·972·7238)

Castro, Isla Chiloe, Chile

A 30-minute ferry crossing away from mainland Chile across the Chacao Channel, verdant Isla Chiloe - the largest in the Chiloe archipelago - is another world. Sixteen wooden churches are clustered around Castro on the island's east coast, each with UNESCO World Heritage status. Traditional palafitos (houses on stilts) dot its shores. To the west, Chiloe National Park is home to foxes, sea lions and otters, and provides unspoiled terrain for horseback riding, sea kayaking and fishing. Many Castro houses are elaborately shingled with intricate designs, and the cathedral is a lovely, vaulted structure made with local hardwoods.