Discover Chile through its fibers, flavors, landscapes, and the women who keep its ancestral crafts alive. This journey blends hands-on workshops, cultural immersion, unforgettable meals, and soul-stirring scenery across three distinct regions: Santiago, Mapuche Territory, and Chiloé Island.
From alpaca farms to volcano viewpoints, from Mapuche looms to Chilote kitchens, this itinerary is designed for travelers who love to create, taste, learn, and explore.
Choose from two sessions:
Session 1: April 25-May 7, 2026
Session 2: May 5-16, 2026
Tour Leader: TBA
You will learn:
Mapuche loom culture + textile symbolism
Natural dyeing with local plants
Hand-spinning wool
Chilote knitting stitches
Contemporary crochet/knitting with Mapuche motifs
Basketry techniques
All materials included.
Beginners welcome.
Experienced makers can dive deeper.
Consuelo González is a designer, visual arts educator, and passionate textile artist based in the lakeside town of Frutillar, Chile. With more than 15 years of teaching experience, she brings remarkable warmth, clarity, and confidence to every group she leads. She will welcome you in Santiago and accompany you throughout the entire journey—your steady, knowledgeable companion from the first day to the last.
Consuelo holds a Master’s Degree in Art History, giving her a unique ability to connect textile traditions to the wider story of Chilean culture, Indigenous heritage, and Latin American art. Travelers love her engaging teaching style, which blends hands-on practice with meaningful cultural insight—helping you understand not just how something is made, but why it matters.
A lifelong maker, Consuelo has honed her knitting and crochet skills through dedicated self-study and expanded her expertise through courses in weaving, embroidery, and natural wool dyeing. In 2023, she co-founded La Matriz, a craft school in Frutillar where she leads the textile department and cultivates a vibrant community of makers.
Her mix of academic depth, design vision, and real-world craft experience makes her the perfect guide for travelers who want to learn, create, and connect more deeply with Chile’s textile traditions.
Overnight flights from North America land the next morning around 8:00 am. Upon arrival at Santiago airport, enjoy a smooth transfer to the charming Cumbres Lastarria hotel.
Santiago Airport to hotel.
Embark on a heartfelt two-day visit to Curarrehue, deep in Mapuche territory. Connect intimately with local families sharing ancient knitting techniques, native vegetation reforestation efforts, traditional cuisine, and profound insights into Mapuche culture and cosmovision.
Visit a traditional weaving workshop to learn about:
the Mapuche loom
the meanings behind ancestral patterns
natural dyes from local plants
fibers prepared with traditional tools
Overnight stays in authentic cabins located on Capuchin family property. Genuine hospitality and cultural exchange amidst breathtaking natural surroundings.
The Mapuche are the Indigenous people of south-central Chile, known for their deep bond with nature, symbolic weaving traditions, and strong cultural identity. Their name means “people of the land,” reflecting a worldview where mountains, rivers, and forests are living relatives. Textile patterns, natural dyes, and handmade tools carry stories passed through generations.
Few travelers ever experience Mapuche life firsthand. Staying in cabins on family land offers a rare, authentic connection—sharing meals, stories, and craft traditions in a genuine community setting. This is not a performance, but a warm invitation into daily life, making it one of the most meaningful and memorable parts of the tour.
Guided by a local textile artist and your Chilean textile specialist, learn contemporary techniques inspired by traditional Mapuche motifs.
Beginners learn basic stitches
Experienced crafters create small tapestry-style pieces
For crafters: tactile, creative, symbolic work with wool.
For foodies: homemade dishes prepared by Mapuche hosts.
Travel south through rolling farmland and shimmering lakes to Puerto Varas, beautifully situated on the shores of the expansive Llanquihue Lake, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding volcanoes.
Take time to explore the charming lakeside towns of Frutillar and Puerto Octay, renowned for their strong German heritage, distinct architecture, lakeside promenades, and irresistible pastries.
For food lovers: local cakes, chocolates, and German-Chilean cuisine.
For nature lovers: stunning views of Osorno Volcano.
Spend the day in the charming lakeside town of Llanquihue for a deep-dive into southern Chile’s contemporary textile creativity. Today’s workshop focuses on a unique frame-free loom technique, taught by a local artisan in her home studio.
Instead of working on a traditional loom, you’ll learn how weaving can be done directly onto objects—a modern approach rooted in creativity and resourcefulness. Participants will weave on recycled larch shingles, an iconic local material, and create a small woven piece to take home. This makes for a beautiful keepsake: a textured picture or miniature tapestry capturing the character of southern Chile.
Your host will guide you step-by-step through material preparation, color selection, and weaving methods, using locally sourced Chilean wool. This is an accessible, meditative craft session—perfect for beginners and experienced makers alike.
In the afternoon, enjoy time with the artisan as she shares stories about Chile’s textile traditions, the evolution of contemporary weaving, and the role of recycled materials in modern design.
For textile travelers: warm, personal workshop atmosphere.
For nature lovers: landscapes outside every window.
The adventure continues with a transfer to the magical Chiloé Island, an archipelago known for its unique culture, mythical folklore, and distinctive wooden churches.
Here, you'll immerse yourself in hands-on wool-spinning and natural dyeing workshops, learning traditional techniques directly from local artisans. These engaging sessions are complemented by hearty, traditional lunches, providing a taste of authentic Chiloé cuisine.
Traditional Chilote lunch included.
For food lovers: hearty island flavors.
For makers: vibrant natural dyes + spinning techniques.
Full morning learning a special 'chilote' knitting stitch with knitting needles during the workshop that will be guided by two local teachers.
Traditional Chilote knitting highlights the island’s rustic craftsmanship, using hand-spun local sheep’s wool in natural, earthy tones. Participants will learn the simple, time-honored techniques used to create iconic Chilote garments—especially the classic wool hat with its signature pom-pom—through approachable stitches like knit, purl, and basic shaping. This workshop focuses on the cultural meaning behind the craft, the materials, and the distinctive form of these practical, beloved pieces.
After lunch, visit to Wueltun town for a hands-on basketry workshop using natural fibers, visit the Rilán church, world heritage site, then enjoy a pisco sour and return to your hotel to prepare yourself for a delicious dinner specially for you.
Morning: Second part of the knitting workshop at the hotel.
Afternoon enjoy a boat navigation through the fjords and a tasty aperitif with local products such as artisan cheese, charcuterie and sea food from the Pacific paired with a fresh 'pisco sour' or sparkling wine. After more than an hour navigating through Castro fjord, visit to the town and its market and two special stores where you will find the finest fabrics and looms. Back to the hotel, enjoy afternoon and a special dinner there.
Flight from Santiago to North America depart around 8:30 pm local time.
Santiago to Temuco, and Castro to Santiago
11 breakfasts, 9 Lunches, 5 Dinners
Solo travelers will be paired with a roommate. Single supplement add on available to guarantee your own room.
Based on travel parameters
Mini bus
Throughout the program.
Throughout the program.
As described in the program
Meals not listed as included above
Minimum $400 USD
