Castro, Chile

Castro is a city in the Chilean island of Chiloé Island. Castro is the capital of the Chiloé Province in the Los Lagos Region. It is Chile's third oldest city in continued existence. Tourism in Chiloé is very strongly based on the island's cultural heritage, predominantly consisting of crafts markets, appreciation of cultural landscapes, museum exhibitions, seafood cuisine and architectural heritage (Chiloé's old churches).

Castro itself has distinctive architecture which is seen in the stilt houses built over the sea, called palafitos. Also worth noting is the San Francisco Church, declared a national monument in 1910, which is completely built from local wood.

The annual festival which takes place during the third week of February is of great interest and during which cultural customs can be viewed.

Things to see and do

* Artisan market
* San Francisco Church - Wooden cathedral
* Stilt houses

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - Peso (CLP)
Language - Spanish
Population - 42,000 approx
Land Area - 473 km²
Electricity - 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style
Time - GMT minus four hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 56

Port Location - The port at Castro is centrally located within walking distance of the town centre.

Transport Links - There are buses from the mainland (Puerto Montt). The ferry crossing is included in the price. Another convenient way to enter would be with a rented car. Which would also give you means to explore the rest of Chiloe.