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Bicycling The Island of Chiloé, Chile

Culture and Nature on the Island of Chiloé

Tranquil fjords, wooden houses and churches, the rugged coastline of the Pacific: The Island of Chiloé, in northern Chilean Patagonia, is reminiscent of the landscapes in Scandinavia. Though it was inhabited long before the Spanish arrived in 1567, the island remained isolated from the commercial trade routes until the founding of the nearby port city Puerto Montt in 1853. During these three isolated centuries, a unique culture developed. The Chilote are of Spanish and indigenous Mapuche descent, and depend on their marine environment to support their way of life.

***If this sounds great but you want a longer tour you can pair Chiloé Island with the ExperiencePlus Bicycling Patagonia's Lakes District tour which features a 7-day itinerary bicycling Patagonia’s Lakes District in Argentina and Chile. ***

Experience information

  • Chile
  • Chile is a South American country occupying a long, narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. At the southern tip of Chile's mainland is Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in the world, and beyond that lies the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego, an island divided between Chile and Argentina. 

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    Among the top tourist attractions in Chile are the world’s driest desert, spectacular scenery of glaciers and fjords, and the many volcanoes along the Pacific “ring of fire”. Some parts of the region have never received a drop of rain and the Desert is probably also the oldest desert on earth.

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    Chile is today one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations. It leads Latin American nations in rankings of human development, competitiveness, income per capita, globalization, state of peace, economic freedom, and low perception of corruption.

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