Chonchi
The town of three floors, built on a slope so steep the streets are stacked, with an inscribed church.
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Chonchi is called the ciudad de los tres pisos because it is built on a slope steep enough that the town reads as three stepped levels above the water, with the streets running along the contours and short steep connections between them. Its church of San Carlos, begun in the eighteenth century and finished later, is one of the sixteen Chiloe churches inscribed by UNESCO in 2000, with a tower that was rebuilt after storm damage. The town was a port for the cypress timber trade and its waterfront warehouses date from that. Licor de oro, a spiced whey-based liqueur, is made here and sold locally.
What you actually see
- A town in three stepped levels - streets along the contours of the slope.
- The church of San Carlos - one of the sixteen inscribed in 2000.
- Waterfront timber warehouses - from the cypress trade.
- Licor de oro - the local spiced liqueur.
When to go
December to March. Half a day.
Honest expectations
The streets are genuinely steep. Church opening depends on the parish. Rain is frequent in any month. The town is quiet outside summer with limited services.
Nearby
Castro is north; Cucao and Chiloe national park are west.
What to pack for Chonchi
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.