Isle de Chiloe- + and -

Leaving the island(s) gave me a chance to look back and think about what I would have done differently. Pluses - I definitely would return to the island and stay at the Ancud Hotel. The Penguin tour was great as was all the time that I spent exploring the town of Ancud. As for the drive to the south of the island, I would have spent much less time in the towns on the East of the Island ( Castro, Conchi). Instead I would visit Cucao on the Pacific side. You can ride horseback to explore the beaches and National Park there and several tour books call it the most beautiful beach in Chile. Also, I would have taken a private plane or boat to explore the hundreds of island surrounding the main island. The tides create an unusual phenomena in the outlying islands. Around Cucao (Pacific side) the tide rises to 8 feet. Near Quenchi, on the other side, the tide rises to 23 feet due to the shallowness of the interior sea. At times you can actually walk from island to island. The receding tides leave fish and shellfish trapped in the pools providing food and livelihood for the islanders. I merely touched the surface of what you can see and do in these islands.