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Palafitos: The Architecture of Chiloe Island

The Palafitos: the unique architecture of Chiloe

Chiloe has one characteristic, the unique churches. But in addition, the architecture of Castro has another characteristic representative: The stilt houses called Palafitos. These typical constructions of the coastal areas have a unique style in the archipelago.

The wooden houses and larch tiles are located on a kind of pier with thick piles. They have two fronts, one towards the street, with which it communicates through a bridge, and the other towards the canal, which consists of an upper terrace generally used as a patio and a lower level that, depending on the tide, is used for typical fishing jobs. In this sector the boats that wait to go out to make their journey in search of shellfish and fish are moored.

Beyond their appeal, the colorful Palafitos, or stilt houses provide islanders with a cozy home close to the shore, safe and moisture-free, appropriate for those who live around the sea. Not only Castro, but Ancud, Quemchi and Chonchi, among other ports, adopted this way of taking advantage of the coast during the commercial expansion of the 19th century.

To have a good view of this picturesque hamlet, you have to walk along Calle Blanco until you reach the waterfront and the port and from there head towards the coastal area of Pedro Montt and Aguirre Cerda streets, where the palafitos are located, a clear expression of maritime architecture.

The Castro´s Palafitos

Although in the past there were stilt houses in several island towns, they were frequently fired by flames and in recent decades they have been greatly depleted. The stilt houses that are preserved in Castro, the most photographed are the Gamboa and Pedro Montt neighborhoods. Both have gazebos. When the tide goes out, the wooden pillars are nailed to the marshy ground and the boats are stranded. At high tide, the wooden constructions seem to float on the water, reflecting their silhouette.

Walking along the Castro waterfront is one of the great delights of the city, a place where fishermen formerly tied their boats to stilt houses and where today the houses that rest on pillars extend to the waters of the cove where the town. Today, many of these quaint homes have been converted into hotels, hostels, restaurants, and art galleries in the Gamboa and Montt neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city center. Still, across the archipelago even the simplest houses boast a variety of striking shingles of larch wood, a coniferous tree similar to the redwoods of the California coast.

Since before the arrival of the Spanish, this feature has had a stylistic influence to the south due to the migration of the islanders to other areas, but it has also contributed to making the island’s legacy better known, especially when the churches and chapels were built. by Jesuit missionaries they earned it UNESCO World Heritage status at the beginning of this century. According to this institution, these structures “are testimony to a successful fusion of indigenous and European culture; a complete integration of its architecture with the landscape and the environment ”.

Castro is the main city on the big island of Chiloé and is where the largest number of palafitos are found. The construction of the stilt houses in Chiloé originated during the nineteenth century when the whole area had a great commercial expansion, especially from the hand of fishing, which allowed fishermen to live on the water’s edge and moor the boats next to the living place. In addition, as it was public land, the fishermen could settle in the place practically for free (although this currently causes great problems for home ownership).

The houses that were built on the pillars are colorful and made with local wood such as luma or cypress. The tiles are made of larch wood. The house has two well-defined fronts, one facing the canal where there is a beautiful terrace, and the other facing the street connected by a bridge.

Formerly, there were a large number of stilt houses scattered around the island of Chiloé, but due to earthquakes and tidal waves many have disappeared. Currently, many of the stilt houses are still inhabited by the islanders, who make their daily boat trips to catch shellfish and fish, but some were converted for tourism, so there are stilt houses that are cafes, restaurants or hotels where you can sleep.

Where to see the palafitos in Castro, Chiloe Island?

The Gamboa neighborhood area is the ideal place to visit the Castro stilt houses. The largest number of stilt houses are found on the waterfront from the port to the Gamboa river bridge, in a distance of about two kilometers.

It is advisable to visit the stilt houses of Castro both at low tide and at high tide, since the landscape and the photography change a lot.

What to do in Chiloe Island?

Well, if you decide to stay in Chiloe, you will find many great activities to do. But, you also can visit Chiloe Island in a full day trip from Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas, while you´re visiting the lakes district in the chilean Patagonia. Check our Full Day tour to Chiloe Island

Patagonia Tours: Visiting Chiloé, the Lakes District in Argentina and Chile

We have different options to visit the northern portion of Patagonia. Check the following list of Patagonia Tours, including Peninsula Valdes and the Lakes District in Chile and Argentina

Argentina and Chile in 12 nights – I: Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Puerto Varas, Santiago
The Lakes District of Patagonia – 6 nights
1-day Lakes Crossing from Bariloche to Puerto Varas
1-day Lakes Crossing from Puerto Varas to Bariloche
2-day Lakes Crossing from Bariloche to Puerto Varas
2-day Lakes Crossing from Puerto Varas to Bariloche