Palafito Waiwen Hostel — Hotel in Castro

Staying here is a great way to experience a palafito, the unique houses on stilts in the water of the bay alongside Castro.||||Location: In the Gamboa neighborhood, which is about a 15-minute walk (or five minute drive) up a gradual hill to the center of town. It's a quiet street of palafitos that includes some other B&Bs and a couple of very good restaurants -- the Cevicheria is about five houses away, as well as a good pizza place. Very convenient if you don't feel like going back into town at the end of a busy day!||||Views: The best thing is the deck, where you can sit and watch the tide go in and out! Great spot for viewing Black-necked Swans and Brown-headed Gulls, and enjoying the beauty of the bay and the other palafitos. ||||Rooms: Our room was very small (only one window, looking out on the street, and my husband felt cramped) but comfortable. Super-clean room with good, firm mattresses and a decent shower. Our room faced the street and was bit noisy with those ubiquitous Chilean street dogs barking at night. ||||If at all possible, reserve room 4 -- the suite. This not only is much larger and has windows facing the bay on three sides, but it has its own private deck on the bay. Really a wonderful room. Wish we'd had a chance to stay in it!||||Features: Some common sitting areas, a kitchen and refrigerator that's available for guest, and a case with sodas and beers available for purchase. Bikes for rental. ||||I would classify this as halfway between a hostel and a B&B. There are a couple of dorm style rooms, and the overall vibe is upscale hostel. If you are looking for something luxurious, this is not for you. But for me, the beautiful deck with its views of the bay and the opportunity to stay in a palafito made...

Stay July 20-23, 2023. We stayed at Palafito Waiwen for 4 days/3 nights and it was a great experience. The host Claudio was very helpful the moment we arrived in Castro, coordinating with us alternative transportation and private taxi service. We arrived much later than the allowed check-in time, and he waited for us and gave us a personal itinerary based on our interests and items we had expressed wanting to explore.

The recommendations were amazing. We were able to explore the local city and the Ferias de Artesanias in Castro and Dalcahue. We also took a bus to the island of Achao, to sight see traditional Chilean architecture.

Their private taxi service by Fernanda was excellent and we used it to pick us up from the bus terminal on the first day and to explore Tepuheico Park. We utilized their laundry service and anytime we needed anything, we would send a WhatsAp message to Claudio and he quickly answered us.

Overall amenities in the Palafito were great - good sized kitchen for cooking, living room to socialize and terrace to see the Río. Definitely would recommend this Palafito for the service, great views and overall...

Quite good but filled with couples and an older crowd. Hostel is in the name but this is more sort of bed and breakfast vibes. I enjoyed my stay at the casino Hotel up the road and felt their value was better than this place, being 30-40% more expensive and having spa facilities and 5 star amenities. Still, this place is good, beds are comfy, Claudio is really nice, kitchen is great, and listening to the rain at night on the roof is sublime.

Recommend but there may be better alternatives in the area depending on what you're looking for. I wish I had stayed fewer...