This week, we're launching Gothamist's travel content, Gothamist Getaways. Four times a year, we'll have a week of posts featuring looks at travel, food, products and tips, near and far, for making your trips more pleasurable. So enjoy and let us know if you have any hints for us—email [email protected].
Photograph a church by Lilit Marcus
Chile's Chiloe Island, which is home to a UNESCO Heritage Site-listed group of sixteen wooden Jesuit churches, is so remote that even some Chileans will tell you that they've never heard of the place. The deliberately difficult-to-get-to island finally conceded and built its first airport in late 2012, and the small building, which is like a more elegant version of the Little Red Lighthouse of kids' book fame, only handles a few small planes a day in and out from Santiago.
If getting-away-from-it-all is high on your priority list, you couldn't ask for a more scenic or peaceful getaway than Chiloe—and, specifically, the Refugia Lodge. Even the Spanish-challenged among us can guess that the hotel's name means "Refuge," and the remote, lovely establishment lives up to its name. On an island where most structures are made in the old, traditional painted wood style, the Lodge's sleek glass frame suddenly sneaks up on you over a hill. It's like walking through a museum full of traditional landscape paintings and suddenly turning the corner to find a Calder mobile.
Chilotes, as the residents are known, take pride in their simple, rural way of life. Many still practice the 'old ways,' a religion that existed among the native people and remained steady despite the attempt to convert them to Catholicism.
That, plus the ever-present morning fog, gives the island its air of mysticism. It also means that many locals still farm, so you should expect your rides to and from anywhere, including the airport, to possibly involve a break to gawk at a particularly cute herd of sheep or goats who have decided they have the right of way.
A room at the Refugia Lodge
The long, thin design of Refugia means that there's only enough space for 12 rooms occupying the second floor. They're in one long line across the floor, meaning they all have equally wonderful views. The wall that overlooks the sea is all glass, providing a beautiful perspective at any time of day.
If you never wanted to leave your room—or get out of the custom knitted booties that every guest receives upon arrival, magically fitted to your feet—nobody would blame you. From there you'll see horses grazing, green grass, and a sea that vacillates between stormy gray and serene blue. Even the most halfhearted Instagrammer could get something beautiful by just pointing and shooting.
If you venture down to the ground floor, you'll find 360-degree views, plus comfy couches, handmade wooden decorations, and a very strong pisco sour or three. Though there is internet access here, it's intermittent, which is good news for those who really want to escape.
Should you decide to explore Chiloe, prepare for your day with a traditional local breakfast—think potato pancakes called milcao and homemade blueberry juice—served at several small communal tables. From there, you can take part in one of several excursions, including one to several smaller islands in the Chiloe archipelago.
The hotel's boat Williche, which is outfitted with shiny polished-wood stools and pews covered in brightly-colored pillows, will ferry you to points around the island—including some of the more famous churches in the towns of Achao and Quinchao—or to smaller islands like Mechuque, which is believed to be the setting for Chilean-American author Isabel Allende's latest bestseller, Maya's Notebook. You can also visit the famous flea markets around the island, where local craftspeople sell hand-knit sweaters and healthy produce—and the prices are so cheap that even if haggling were acceptable here it would be totally gauche anyway.
Eventually, you will have to leave Chiloe and its mysteries. But the good news is that you get to keep the booties.
Lilit Marcus is a New York City-based writer and tea addict. Her first book, Save the Assistants, was published by Hyperion. You can also look for her work in the Wall Street Journal, Teen Vogue, and The Forward. Her sister says she dresses like a librarian. You can find her at twitter @lilitmarcus
