Quinchao Island

Quinchao Island is one of the islands in Chile’s Chiloé Archipelago, Los Lagos Region, known for its maritime villages and a number of historic wooden churches. Several of those churches are part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Churches of Chiloé.

Small coastal towns and fishing villages, traditional wooden churches, and sheltered bays characterise the island. Visitors commonly travel by ferry to Achao, explore church architecture, and use the island as a base for boat trips and coastal walks.

Colonial-era mission activity and local woodworking traditions produced a distinctive vernacular ecclesiastical architecture from the 17th to 19th centuries. The island’s churches and settlements reflect a long history of maritime economy and island culture.

Located off the eastern coast of greater Chiloé Island in the Los Lagos Region, Quinchao is accessed by regular ferries and boats and lies within the archipelago’s network of islands and channels.

• UNESCO churches: Part of the Chiloé Archipelago and home to several timber-built churches that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Churches of Chiloé.
• Access: Regular ferry and boat connections link Quinchao to larger Chiloé Island, with Achao serving as the main maritime gateway for visitors.

What to See#

• Church of Achao: Iglesia de Achao - one of the wooden churches of Chiloé included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing, notable for its timber construction and long local use as a parish church.
• Achao: Achao town - the island’s main ferry landing and service centre, providing access to local churches and inter-island connections.

• Take the short ferry from Dalcahue to Achao early in the day to maximize time on Quinchao and to fit church visits before organized tour buses arrive; ferry schedules are limited so check times in advance.
• Visit the island's UNESCO-era wooden churches (for example Achao) and the small village museums-these are the cultural highlights many visitors miss while only stopping in Castro on nearby Chiloé Island.
• Explore by bike or arrange a local taxi to reach seaside viewpoints and smaller hamlets around the island; the palafitos and quiet coastal viewpoints at sunset are better experienced away from the main ferry landing.