Chiloe Island (Castro, Chile)

Chile's Chiloe Island (officially Isla de Chiloe, aka "Greater Island of Chiloe"/Isla Grande de Chiloe) is the largest in Chile's Chiloe Archipelago (Pacific Ocean). Castro is the principal port and the capital city of Chile's Chiloe Province (Los Lagos Region) with population around 40,000. Castro City is on Chiloe Island's central-eastern coast, which location provides it with access to the Archipelago's eastern islands.

Isla de Chiloe has total area approx 8394 km2 (3241 mi2), ranking it Chile's 2nd largest island - after Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. It is also South America's 4th-largest island - following Grande de Tierra del Fuego, Ilha de Marajo (Para Brazil), and Ilha do Bananal (Araguaia River, Tocantins Brazil).

As cruise port, Castro/Chiloe Island is often included in the seasonal Antarctic cruise schedule of Hurtigruten Expeditions. Itineraries usually include Puerto Natales, Puerto Eden, Chilean Fjords/Patagonia (coastal cruising), Cape Horn and Drake Passage, the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, Punta Arenas (homeport, with flights to/from Valparaiso-Santiago).

The island's population is around 155,000 people. In the northwestern part of the Island is the Chiloe National Park. It features a huge diversity of marine fauna, including sei whales, blue whales, Peale's amd Chilean dolphins, marine otters, sea lions, Humboldt and Magellanic penguins. Nevertheless, this comparatively undisturbed area faces plenty of threats, including habitat degradation, urban development, marine and land pollution.

Conducted by Cetacean Conservation Center, the blue whale project "Alfaguara project" is based at Punihuil - on the island's northwest coast. It combines long term capacity building, research and educational programs for marine conservation. Islotes de Punihuil Natural Monument is a group of 3 islets located to the north and west of Punihuil. The monument is the only shared breeding site for Magellanic and Humboldt penguins. It is also the breeding area for other species like kelp gulls and red-legged cormorants.

Chiloe Island cruise terminal