Isla de Chiloé is the second largest island in Chile and definitely a must-visit during your road trip through Chile. The vast landscapes, charming towns, and the penguin colony along the coast make a visit more than worthwhile.

The best time to visit Chiloé is from November to March. It's summer in Chile during this period, offering the best weather and the least rainfall. Temperatures in summer are often around 20 degrees Celsius (68°F). On some days, it can be a bit cooler, so it's important to keep this in mind when choosing your clothes.

We started our journey in Puerto Varas and took the bus to Castro. The ride is about 4.5 hours by bus, but often a bit longer because you have to wait for the ferry. The cost of the ferry is included in the bus ticket. On the ferry, you can decide to step out of the bus or car to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

After arriving in Castro, you can explore the town. It's not very big, so one afternoon is enough to see the highlights. In Castro, it's highly recommended to visit Iglesia de San Francisco, one of the island's churches listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its wooden architecture. The church is located at Plaza de Armas, a lively square where locals gather. There are often performances by street musicians. It's also nice to take a walk by the water and view the Palafitos. Many boat tours are offered here, allowing you to admire the Palafitos from the water.

The next morning, we took a local bus to the island of Quinchao. We walked to Terminal Rural Castro and asked locals which bus we needed to take. The ride to the island takes about an hour. The island feels remote because you travel from Chiloé Island to another island. There isn’t much to do on Quinchao, but you can enjoy the nature and tranquility. There are two larger towns on the island: Curaco de Vélez and Achao. We stayed in a cozy wooden cabin between Curaco de Vélez and Achao. On the island, you can stand by the side of the road and flag down a bus to take you to Achao. In Achao, you can walk to the bus terminal if you want to return.

If you have a car, it takes about an hour to drive from Castro to Achao. The advantage of having a car is that you can easily get around the island and visit more remote villages.

In Achao, you can enjoy a pleasant walk along the water and explore the market. You can also admire the Iglesia Patrimonial Santa María de Lotero, a wooden church built in 1730. The church is considered one of the oldest in Chile.

It’s also nice to walk along the water in Curaco de Vélez. In the summer, this is a place where many birds fly, making it a great spot for birdwatching. You can also relax with a drink by the water in both places and enjoy the tranquility.

If you have a car, it's nice to drive around the island a bit more and perhaps visit Chequian. With the bus, it's unfortunately a bit more difficult, as the towns are very remote. Taking the bus is quite a venture.

After Quinchao, we took the bus back to Chiloé. Here, you can decide to continue on to Chiloé National Park. There is a bus from Castro to the national park. The bus departs from the bus terminal, and it's best to ask there which bus to take. The bus connection from the national park to Ancud is not great, so we recommend staying an extra night in Castro and traveling to Ancud the next day. Alternatively, you can choose to book a day tour to the national park from Castro.

By car, it takes about 2 hours to drive from Achao to Cucao. We recommend staying in the village of Cucao after your visit to the national park and driving to Ancud the following day. If you're short on time, you can also drive straight to Ancud after your visit to the national park. The drive from the national park to Ancud is about 2 hours.

The national park is located in the western part of the island, where you can enjoy hiking and spot sea lions. The park also features a Valdivian temperate rainforest, one of the few remaining rainforests with a temperate climate in the world. This makes it a unique place to see rare plants and animals. It's truly a special spot!

Tip: If you're short on time, we recommend traveling from Castro to Ancud to spot penguins and skipping the national park.

We took the local bus from Castro to Ancud. We recommend asking at the bus terminal in Castro which local bus is best to take. You can also take a large coach bus and buy a ticket via Busbud.

By car, it takes just over 1 hour to drive from Castro to Ancud. If you're coming from Cucao, it takes just over 2 hours.

Ancud is a charming town, and we recommend taking a walk to the Plaza de Armas. This is where many locals gather, and from the square, you have a great view of the church. It's also nice to stroll along the local market, where fresh products are sold, and you can try a local dish at one of the small restaurants. The coast near Ancud is a popular nesting area for the Magellanic penguin and the Humboldt penguin. Many tour operators offer boat trips from Ancud to the islands off the coast to see the penguins. We recommend arranging a tour directly in Ancud with one of the operators. Accommodations sometimes offer these tours as well. It's truly special to see the penguins up close!

We ended our road trip across Chiloé Island in Ancud. From here, it's easy to take a bus to Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas. The bus ride takes about 2.5 hours. We took the bus to Puerto Montt because the city has an airport. We spent the night there and took a flight to Santiago the next morning.