Chilean Lake District-Puerto Montt and Varas, Chile
by Paul H. Green
41 degrees 19;34” South, 72 degrees, 55'44” West
Many people taking a cruise ship to Antarctic waters visit the city of Puerto Montt. Tischa and I arrived via the Norwegian Cruise Lines, Norwegian Crown, which is really a ship that has seen better days (was probably a great ship to be aboard in the earlier 90's).
Our 2007 cruise to the Antarctic has made us wonder if some of the cruise lines are using their oldest ships in the Antarctic as fewer travelers have been frequenting these waters. While we enjoyed the Norwegian Crown, Princess Cruise Line and many, many other cruise lines, frequent the area from January to March each year, and due to a growing post 9/11 interest, more of them are adding new ships to the ones already in these waters.
Puerto Montt now resembles Seattle or Vancouver in size, but its older architecture is middle European. Since 1985, the city has experienced considerable growth and development, fueled by more than 30 salmon farms, in addition to the forestry and fishing industries and service companies. New hotels, restaurants, cafes and the growing need for housing has transformed the nearby town of Puerto Varas, a satellite community.
Puerto Montt is your gateway to Chile's magnificent Lake District. Here, snow-capped volcanoes gaze down on alpine valleys nestled among low hills. Glaciers carved out this terrain, leaving the jewel-like lakes in their wake. The Lake District was a magnet for German immigrants, and their legacy can be seen today in the manicured rose gardens of Puerto Varas (known locally as The City of Roses) the "German Villages" like Frutillar, and the gabled homes with elaborate balconies of Puerto Montt. Americans could learn a lot from Chili in that they have had a large German population for more than 100 years, and yet they live peacefully side by side while maintaining their own languages and customs, in fact a very large German school has just been built between Ports Montt and Varas.
Despite a population of more than 130,000, Puerto Montt retains the feel of a small town. For a simple introduction to the city, walk along the waterfront road to the fishing port of Angelmo and browse the local artisans' stalls, then duck in for a snack in one of the small cafés along the way.
You can see a lot in One Day
This area is one to write home about. Start out in a four-wheel-drive vehicle from Puerto Montt along the Reloncavi Estuary to the Andes Mountains. In route, see spectacular forests. From Laguna Reflejos take a raft the rest of the way to the lodge. Take a hike to the Fountain of Hope and back to the lodge for lunch.
Gorgeous at every stop.
Take a photo from one of the hills of Puerto Montt for a panoramic city view. Continue to Puerto Varas where the view of Lake Llanquihue sparkles with the reflection of snow-covered volcanoes. Then drive to "Fundo Olguita" a Chilean farm, discover age-old traditions and have fun.
Puerto Montt is sprawling and much in need of clean up and paint. Arriving by ship, most vistors will travel via the Pan American Highway directly to Puerto Varas. Puerto Varas over looks Lake Llanguihue and is just twenty minutes from Lake Esmeralda and a large German speaking community. One last note, most travelers come to visit the lakes region and the small towns that dot the lake shores. You can expect to see the largest mosquito's on the planet, at the Falls and Lake Esmeralda area. While the bugs are huge, they are not quick to bit, and will be in large numbers only in early to mid January.
Places to see when you travel to Puerto Montt:
- Osorno Volcano--
Owing to its near perfect symmetry, this mountain is one of Chile's most famous volcanoes, and of course photo stop.
- Puerto Varas--
Established in 1854, Puerto Varas is hailed as the "City of Roses."
- Petrohue River--
Sculpted from volcanic rock over thousands of years, the river's greenish-blue water swiftly flows to form impressive rapids and small waterfalls.
- Pietrohue Falls & Lake Esmeralda--
We visited Petrohue, a port in the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. There, we boarded a catamaran for a cruise along Lake Todos los Santos or Lake Esmeralda; and found its blue-green color otherworldly.
After lunch our tour continued with a drive to Petrohue Falls. We hope our photos will show you the beauty, which words alone can not accomplish. Following our photo op at the fall, we drove through lush countryside with views of Lake Llanquihue.
If we only had one day in Chile, it would be a hard for us to choice where to go, the wonderful city of Santiago or the amazing beauty around Puerto Montt. We think the only right answer is not to miss either place, so add another day to your trip.