Quehui Island

The big island of Chiloé lies south of Puerto Montt, opposite the Chilean mainland of northern Patagonia. I was here last in 2007, so it was time to return and see new sights. The island has always been populated by indigenous Chono and Huilliche people. Jesuit priests arrived in the early 17th century and tried their best to organize the people into communities. Their wooden churches have become famous as an architectural style, visited by people from around the world. Here is the simple church at San Miguel, one of the four communities on Quehui Island.

As Dutch pirates passed through the archipelago and Spanish settlers arrived, they mixed with the local people, creating a type of native Chilote, generally short in stature. Besides its famous churches, Chile is known as the last outpost of the Spanish empire in South America. They held on to Chiloé until 1826.

Today, the big island and the surrounding 100 or so smaller islands are all populated by farmers who work the land to produce the native potatoes and some livestock. Others collect the numerous shellfish and seaweed. The local staple is mussels, clams, and oysters. Many have left their homes to work on the salmon farms established by foreign companies, mostly from the USA and Norway. Click here to learn more (in Spanish) about the famous potato from Chiloé.

I found a simple bed and breakfast on Quehui, one of the smaller islands. Patricio Alarcón was my generous host at Turismo Quehui, about three hours by boat from the city of Castro on Chiloé. Friend Lorena took this one:

This boat was loaded to the gunwale with locals and tourists alike, traveling to Quehui for the annual Fiesta del Mar.

This is the view in front of Patricio's B&B as sunset approaches. (Click on any photo to enlarge.)



For the next two days local women prepared typical food for the curanto, while the men butchered hogs and sheep which they cook over flames. The fiesta takes place on Saturday and Sunday on the village green in front of the church. Each of the four communities on the island has its own concession.



Musical and theatrical events take place on the outdoor stage, many of them with children participating.



The music continued into the night, until 2am both days. It's difficult to sleep even in the villages of Chile. More on Quehui in future posts.