Castro

Castro was founded in 1567 and is among the oldest continuously inhabited towns in Chile, though earthquakes and fires have taken most of what was built before the twentieth century. Two things define it. The palafitos are rows of houses standing on wooden piles over the tidal water of the Fiordo de Castro, painted in strong colours, built by fishing families and now largely converted to hotels and restaurants. The church of San Francisco, finished in 1912 and clad in corrugated iron painted yellow and violet, is one of the sixteen Chiloe churches inscribed by UNESCO in 2000 for their timber construction tradition.

History

Castro is Chile's third oldest city in continuous existence: in 1567 Captain Martín Ruiz de Gamboa, sent by his father-in-law, the acting governor Rodrigo de Quiroga, conquered Chiloé and founded the town, which remained the administrative centre of the island until 1767, when the capital moved to Ancud; in 1594 it had 8,000 inhabitants, and Dutch pirates looted it several times up to the mid-17th century. An earthquake laid the town waste in 1837, and in 1907 it had only 1,243 people; it grew again after the railway to Ancud opened in 1912, lost many buildings, among them the railway station, the town hall and many palafitos, in the earthquake and tsunami of 1960, and became the capital of the Chiloé Archipelago again only in 1982 (Wikipedia, Castro, Chile).

The main sights

• Palafitos on piles - houses over the tidal water, painted in strong colours.
• San Francisco church of 1912 - clad in painted corrugated iron.
• One of the sixteen inscribed churches - UNESCO, 2000.
• A town founded in 1567 - though little pre-modern fabric survives.

When to go

December to March; Chiloe is very wet the rest of the year. A full day.

Before you go

Many palafitos are now tourist accommodation rather than homes, which changes the character. Rain is constant outside high summer. The ferry crossing to the island adds time. Prices in season are high.

Nearby

Dalcahue and Achao are north-east; Chonchi is south.

Key facts