Ancud Travel Guide

To get to Ancud you'll take a bus from Puerto Montt, most likely, and don't be surprised when the bus drives onto a ferry to take you across to the first city you'll hit on the big island of Chiloé, an area steeped in mythology and a cuisine all its own. Ancud is just 59 miles SE of Puerto Montt, but with the ferry crossing this will still take an hour or so.

With just 27,000 inhabitants, Ancud is dwarfed by Castro, it's neighbor, but since it was the first (and last)Spanish stronghold on the island, founded in 1769, there are some historic remains worth visiting, such as some forts. There's also a nice museum, and one of the country's most important penguin nesting colonies is on a set of islands accessible from Ancud. Finally, a relatively unused area of the national park may be accessed from Ancud as well. In short, it's a nice small town on the ocean, with the typical pretty painted boats in the sand at low tide, and if you're really short of time and want to come to Chiloé, it's your first stop. On the other hand, if you want to get to know Chiloé top to bottom, you won't want to miss Ancud, as it's one of the island's biggest settlements.

Where to Go in Ancud