Population: 13,661
Elevation: 10 feet (3 meters)
Telephone code: 65
Founded in 1905 as a company mill town, gritty, nondescript Quellón can feel like a foreign country compared to Chiloé’s other serene, history-filled towns. The city had no road links with the rest of the island until several decades ago, but is now one of the endpoints of the Pan-American Highway, which stretches nearly 48,000 kilometers (30,000 mi) south from Alaska. Quellón a busy port and focal point for the salmon industry, but doesn’t have much of interest to travelers.If you’re looking to enter or leave Chiloé from the island’s southern extreme, and thus avoid doubling back through Ancud, there is infrequent ferry service from Quellón to Chaitén (starting at $26) and Puerto Chacabuco ($48). Stop by the office of Naviera Austral (Pedro Montt 457, Tel: 682207), or check the schedule online at www.navieraustral.cl.You’ll be hard-pressed to find reasons to want to stay in Quellón, though if you’re stuck waiting for a ferry, Hotel Tierra del Fuego has cozy, somewhat expensive rooms, starting at $15 for a single with a shared bathroom (Pedro Montt 445, Tel: 56-65-682079). Fully equipped cabins are also available a few doors down, for $40 (Pedro Montt 457, Tel: 56-65-548228).Hostería Romeo Alfa (Puerto Montt 554, next to the wharf), offers some decent views and the usual range of seafood dishes ($5 to $7). Restaurant Los Suizos (Ladrilleros 399, Tel: 681787) has a surprisingly good value lunch menu ($3.50), and several Swiss dishes, mostly for breakfast.Minibuses cover the almost two hour Castro-Quellón route frequently, leaving every half-hour ($2.25).