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The inhabitants of the Chiloe archipelago, or Chilotes as they're known, are a "mestizo" blend of the indigenous Huilliche and European populations. The early settling of this region and relative isolation from the rest of Chile has resulted in a unique culture centered around aquaculture and seafaring. Some other unique aspects of their culture are the extensive Chilote mythology and traditional wood architecture featuring colonial churches built from timber joinery and stilt houses (palafitos). Famous tourist attractions include the seasonal magellanic penguins in the northwest part of the island, the "ruta de las iglesias", and the palafitos of Castro.

I had lots of fun doing the "ruta de las iglesias" (church route). You can purchase a passport at any of the churches and at every church you visit they'll stamp it for you. I was only able to get 4 of the 16, since lots of them were either closed or you had to take a ferry to another island. The churches were really impressive and well-maintained considering many were almost 300 years old and made purely of wood. The locals were very hospitable and proud. It was all around a peaceful retreat and half of the island is an uninhabited national park. They also had really nice/maintained roads and was more affordable than the rest of Chile.