Castro, Chile

Castro is a city on Chiloé Island in Chile. It serves as the capital of Chiloé Province. Covering 427.5 sq km (165.1 sq mi), Castro has a population of 40,000 people (2012 estimate). It is the third oldest continuously inhabited city in Chile that is still in existence.

Iglesia San Francisco de Castro, in Castro, Chile
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Templosanfrancisco.jpg
Author: Philip Oyarzo Calisto


Castro dates to 1567 when Captain Martín Ruiz de Gamboa, under the instruction of his father Rodrigo de Quiroga, the temporary governor of Chile, established the city after conquering the indigenous tribe, the Cuncos. Castro served as the administrative center of Chiloé Island from then until 1767, when the provincial capital was moved to Ancud. Castro regained the role of provincial capital from Ancud in 1982.

Visiting Castro

You can reach Castro by taking a bus from Puerto Montt.

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