Guide-led experiences offered through All-Inclusive Rate reveal age-old basket and wool weaving techniques in Ilque and Huelmo and Carretera Austral

Move over, Etsy. Following the World Crafts Council’s recent designation of two “World Craft Cities” in the Lakes Region of Chile, Hotel AWA is celebrating its neighbors’ distinctions with new hands-on cultural excursions for guests to experience the artisan-driven cultures at the heart of each. Introducing Basketwork with dried rush plants (junquillo and manila) in Ilque and Huelmo, and The Wool Route in Carretera Austral, two in-depth excursions lasting half a day. Each hands-on experience is thoughtfully designed in collaboration with Fundación Artesanías de Chile to reveal Chile’s enduring local craft traditions and is available to guests as part of Hotel AWA’s All-Inclusive Rate.

Conveniently situated for travelers in the northern reaches of Chilean Patagonia, midway between the Atacama Desert and Torres del Paine, Hotel AWA’s mission is to open eyes, hearts, and passions to the natural and cultural beauty of the region. Set along Lake Llanquihue just outside of Puerto Varas, Hotel AWA is both stylish in design and sincere in focus, with an All-Inclusive Rate that grants every guest the dedicated services of a private guide to discover the region through rich programming of wilderness excursions and hands-on experiences with local artisans.

Hotel AWA’s view of the Osorno volcano

A Basketful of Craft Culture

In May 2023, the World Crafts Council designated the sister villages of Ilque and Huelmo as Craft City of the World in recognition of traditional basketmaking and loom-weaving techniques that pre-date Hispanic culture and have been kept alive by local artisans for more than 150 years. The crafting techniques practiced can be traced back to Chilean cultures that traveled by canoe and were passed along by families that arrived from Chile’s Chiloé and Calbuco areas in the mid-19^th century.

Artisan weaving a manila basket

Hands-On Cultural Excursions

Hotel AWA’s Basketwork cultural excursion departs just after breakfast, with guests transported by their personal guide a one-hour drive. The experience begins with an overview of the collecting, processing, and weaving of junquillo and manila at Villarroel Almonacid, a family residence and junquillo farm where guests learn to pluck and tenderize the plant before visiting the workshop to see it weaved by skilled artisans into elaborate works.

After joining the family for refreshments, guests move on first to a birdwatching viewpoint, then to the Manila plantation to discover the process of creating basketry from the head of the family, whose weaving method is notable for its perfection. The last stop will be the headquarters of a local group of artisans from three families, with a hands-on opportunity for guests to create a basket of their own as a keepsake.

Artisans from the ‘Entre Junquillo y Manila’ group gathering junquillo during the summer

Dream Weaving: The Wool Route

The weavers of Carretera Austral, located between Quillaipe and Caleta La Arena, about an hour from Hotel AWA, occupy a textile universe developed over a century and a half. Thanks to local women, that universe has achieved a significant degree of specialization with practical, technical, symbolic, and aesthetic elements integral to Chile’s heritage.

Craftswomen of the region create works of beauty with sheep’s wool via vertical looms, including blankets, shawls, and choapinos (rugs). Their work involves every detail, from sheep shearing to fleece selection, plus scouring, washing, spinning, dyeing, and weaving on the loom. There are currently nine groups of artisan weavers in towns along the Carretera Austral, as well as several women who pursue the weaving craft on their own, more than 70 weavers altogether.

Artisan weaving a junquillo basket

Dream Weaving: The Wool Route

The weavers of Carretera Austral, located between Quillaipe and Caleta La Arena, about an hour from Hotel AWA, occupy a textile universe developed over a century and a half. Thanks to local women, that universe has achieved a significant degree of specialization with practical, technical, symbolic, and aesthetic elements integral to Chile’s heritage.

Craftswomen of the region create works of beauty with sheep’s wool via vertical looms, including blankets, shawls, and choapinos (rugs). Their work involves every detail, from sheep shearing to fleece selection, plus scouring, washing, spinning, dyeing, and weaving on the loom. There are currently nine groups of artisan weavers in towns along the Carretera Austral, as well as several women who pursue the weaving craft on their own, more than 70 weavers altogether.

Hand spinning sheep’s wool on a spindle

Hotel AWA’s Wool Route excursion offers guests the opportunity to learn about the weaving in detail, with visits to three workshops starting at the home of Leonila Chávez, head of the Chaica Weavers Workshop, for a fascinating demonstration of the age-old process of dyeing sheep’s wool in a bonfire from branches, leaves, roots, and fruits.

The excursion continues to Caleta Gutiérrez, a small village where members of Taller Vista Al Mar offer hands-on instruction in the art of spinning fleece on a traditional spindle to create strands of yarn that are both beautiful and fine. Guests will also learn about the traditional brocade loom weaving technique revitalized by the Taller Vista Al Mar.

Workshop of a weaver artisan from the Carretera Austral. The vertical loom, skein winder, and yarns used to create the weavings are seen here.

Well-Crafted Cultural Excursions

Every destination on Hotel AWA’s new craft excursions promises revelatory experiences, glimpses of local life, hands-on craft-making, and refreshments. Transportation from the hotel and accompaniment by a knowledgeable guide are always included.

Perfect for jumpstarting a visit to Chile’s Lake District and gateway to northern Patagonia or experiencing the stunning natural beauty of the region for a few days, Hotel AWA’s All Inclusive Rate creates a bespoke excursion menu for guests and assigns a private guide to handle all details and accompany them through their entire stay.

Artisan from Caleta Gutiérrez weaving a bedspread on a loom using the brocade technique