Achao

Santa Maria de Loreto at Achao is generally dated to the 1740s and is the oldest of the Chiloe churches still standing - built by Jesuit missionaries and local carpenters entirely of native timber, with the frame pegged and jointed and no metal fastenings anywhere in the original structure, a technique that comes straight from boatbuilding. Inside, the barrel vault is painted blue with stars and the altar is baroque work in wood. It is one of the sixteen inscribed by UNESCO in 2000. The town around it is small, on the sheltered inner side of Quinchao island, and reached by the ferry from Dalcahue.

What you actually see

• The oldest Chiloe church - dated to the 1740s.
• No metal in the original frame - pegged and jointed like a hull.
• A blue vault with stars - painted inside over a wooden baroque altar.
• Inscribed by UNESCO in 2000 - one of the sixteen.

When to go

December to March. Half a day including the ferry.

Honest expectations

Opening depends on the parish and can be limited outside summer. The ferry adds time and runs on its own schedule. The town is small with few services. Rain is frequent.

Nearby

Dalcahue is across the channel; Curaco de Velez is on the same island.