Ancud

Ancud was founded in 1768 to fortify the northern entrance to Chiloe, and the archipelago became the last part of South America held by Spain: royalists withdrew here after the mainland was lost and held out until January 1826, when the Treaty of Tantauco finally handed Chiloe to Chile - eight years after Chilean independence was proclaimed. The San Antonio fort on the shore is what remains of the defences. The town's regional museum covers the archipelago's history, the churches and the mythology, and Ancud is also the base for the Punihuil penguin colonies on the western coast.

History

Before the Spanish town, the site was known as Puerto Inglés, and the Dutch commander Hendrik Brouwer died here on 7 August 1643, before reaching Valdivia. The Spanish founded Ancud as a fortified town in 1767-1768, on the advice of the former governor Antonio Narciso de Santa María, to guard Chiloé, and the new road from Ancud to Castro widened local trade and farming; Ancud was the capital of the archipelago until 1982, and the Chilean Navy ran a nautical school here between 1839 and 1864 (Wikipedia, Ancud).

What to look for

• The last Spanish holdout - Chiloe surrendered only in 1826.
• The San Antonio fort - what remains of the town's defences.
• A regional museum - on the archipelago's history and mythology.
• The base for Punihuil - the penguin colonies on the west coast.

When to go

December to March; Chiloe is very wet otherwise. A full day.

Good to know

Much of the old town was lost to the 1960 earthquake and tsunami. Rain is frequent in any month. The town is quieter and plainer than Castro. Ferry queues at Chacao are long in high summer.

Nearby

Punihuil is west; Castro and the churches are south.

Key facts