Lake District Chile

Lake Llanquihue  –  Puerto Varas & Frutillar

Puerto Montt is in southern Chile the big – port, shopping and industrial – city and it is the gateway to Patagonia. I had chosen to stay around 20 km away in Puerto Varas, and is a much nicer city. It is situated next to the lake Llanquihue overlooking the Volcano Osorno. The city is build by Germans about 1820. They did not come as immigrants who conquered the area, but were made very welcome as Chile wanted residents in the area to cultivate the land. Chile had launched a program to get more people to move to Chile, and a German, on an expedition in the area, heard about the program. Along with Chile he made a campaign to get German Catholic farmers to the area. Catholics because it would fit with the rest of the population and farmers because they wanted them to transform the area into agricultural land. The area was “sold” to the germans as Chile’s “Switzerland” referring to Lake Geneva and the mountains behind. On top they also got volcanos.

Cultivation of the soil were managed with great success. The area is together with the island of Chiloe, Chile’s main home for food production. The soil is very fertile – the positive side of a volcanic eruption – and it rains a lot, so it’s easy to grow anything. The vegetables come in big size, for exemple are garlic here  more than twice the size of the ones I usually buy.

A huge industry in the area is salmon. Chile is a supplier to virtually the entire world, it is probably only Northern Europe, that is excluded, as we have our own production. Salmons did not originally live in Chile and it is far from all, who are pleased with the production as it destroys much of the original marine life. It’s pure industry, but the income is important.

Because of the ferry’s late arrival to Puerto Montt, it was dark when I went by taxi to Puerto Varas. I had told my hostel, that I would arrive late, and my taxi driver was very sweet as he waited until the door was opened. He is one of a number of young drivers, I have met that is very impressed when they hear, I am traveling alone.

My lodgings were without breakfast, but after weeks with either sweet vanilla or strawberry yoghurt and more or less boring white toast and jam, it was fine. Luckily I found a lovely cafe where I could get granola, natural yoghurt and fresh fruit – so they got a visit almost every day while I was there.

The weather was nice and after weeks in southern Patagonia, and on the sea, I enjoyed the warmer and quiet weather. Puerto Varas is not without reason called the city of roses. All the streets were filled with rose bushes, so it was a great contrasts. Not that I had been thinking, I had missed flowers, but it was great to see and smell fruits and flowers again.

To the north also by the lake are several lovely towns also build by the Germans. I took the local bus to Frutillar, where some of the old houses now form a German museum.

Chiloe

I was also on a trip to the main island of Chiloe, but one day is not enough to see the island. I knew that, but without a car I chose my best alternative and visited a few of the cities. The focus here as a tourist are houses on stilts and otherwise very colorful and another attraction is the many wooden churches although I only saw a few.

Much of the island is National Park and Rainforest, but there are also marine life including a penguin colony.

Chiloe and nearby islands was the last region in Chile, who was freed from the Spanish occupation in 1826, eight years after the rest a Chile had been liberated. The only options to get to the island is by boat or plane. There has repeatedly since 1972 been plans to build a bridge, but so far it is only plans. Chilotes are now as before completely their own and something very special here is Minga. It is practiced nowhere else and means to help each other. If for example. someone needs to build a house or need there house moved, perhaps to one of the other islands. The owner makes sure that everything needed is ready, so the process is practicable, but then friends, acquaintances and family pops up to help. If a house is to be relocated, it is moved to the harbour, shipped to the preferred island, and then everybody helps on the other side to get it to its new place and to make it even more impressive, it is moved with the interior inside. It is primarily men who take care of the practical job, meanwhile women are preparing food to feed all the helpers when the job is done. That is called Minga. And of course you turn up when someone needs help and can expect to help when needed. What a tradition.

It rained a little bit on my trip to Chiloe and the day after – my last day – I experienced real Puerto Vares weather. It poured down all day, as it does many days a year. A large proportion of the houses in the streets with stores have canopies so you can walk in dry weather, but only a part, there are gaps, so without an umbrella you get very wet. Eating with friends and family is the favorite activity for the locals when it rains. I think Danish “hygge” (cosiness) will fit nicely here with all their rainy days.

Cruise Andino – Border Crossing

Luckily it was only one day of rain as I the next two days were going on a tour over the mountains. A combined trip by busses and boats from Puerto Varas to Bariloche in Argentina. It was a lovely trip, which also meant a very easy border crossing. We started the trip by bus, and our first stop was at a large waterfall – Petrohue. While we looked at the waterfall, our bus driver transported our luggage to the ferry where it was loaded into containers, so when we arrived later, our luggage was already on board.

Petrohue to Peulla

By ferry across Lake Todos Los Santos, we came to Peulla, where some guests would take the boat back after a few hours. Others would continue on to Bariloche in Argentina the same day, and a few of us had an overnight stay before we went to Argentina. Peulla is a very small community with a hotel, a farm a school and border control. The few hours, where there are tourists, there are opportunities for some sightseeing. Peulla lays in a valley at the foot of the Andes and apart from enjoying the nature, there is nothing to do but oh boy for a peaceful place and very easy to think of paradise here. The tranquility and the stunning scenery works incredibly relaxing.

There was a farm with lamas, goats, chickens, etc. which were presented at the excursions. On my trip we should also cross a river, so it took place in a special bus with very high wheels. On the other side of the river we had a boat trip on the Black Lake. As mentioned earlier the color of the lakes depends on the minerals that come down from the mountains and here the color was very very dark, so the name made sense. To experience the silence our guide asked us to keep quiet for 5 min. while we enjoyed the peace the lake and the views. It was a very intense experience.

Peulla to Puerto Frias

Next morning we were a small group of 7 people to continue our tour to Bariloche. With the bus we had in addition to the driver, a guide and two others who turned out to be the once taking care or our luggage. From I dropped off my luggage at the bus in Puerto Varas until I got off Bariloche, I did not touch not my suitcase except taking it to and from my room at the hotel. That system was running perfectly.

The Chilean border control was 200 meters away from the hotel. It was a small place, only open during the day and only used the few times the tourist company Cruise Andino passes with guests and by some cyclists. We had to get in and stand in line to get our check out stamp from Chile. With only 7 people it did not take long.

Then we went over the mountain through a beautiful landscape. On the first part we did not clime up but then there were 15 km, where we came from almost 0 to 1500 meters altitude, down the other side the distance is only 4 km, so it is highly recommendable to take the trip from Argentina to Chile, if you are on a bike, which some are.  At breakfast, there was two young couples with children and they continued their trip by bike as we got on the bus.

At the top, the border Pasa Vicente Perez Rosales, was marked with gates and signs. The road follows an old path used by the Mapuche people when they crossed over the mountain and in old times they used the Peulla valley as a gathering place for meetings between different groups. The whole lake area covering both Chile and Argentina is Mapuche territory and today descendants still live in the area. Most of them in Chile. Mapuche means People of the Land and is a collective term for many different groups of indigenous people in both Chile and Argentina. Much of the Chilean population have Mapuche genes in different quantities. Many of them are really good looking and if I have to describe them they will be identical..

After the short trip down, we arrived to Puerto Frias at the lake of the same name. Here we had to go through the Argentine passport control before another boat trip.

Read the end of my trip to Bariloche in the post Lake District in Argentina

Pucon

After nearly four weeks in Argentina’s lake district, I crossed back to Chile at Paso Mamuil Malal, from San Martin del Los Andes through the Lanin National Park. Both the Argentinian and Chilean border are at the foot of the Lanin volcano. Once we came into Chile, the road was paved, and the National Park now called Villarrica. I was going to Pucon, which is a city at Lake Villarrica and near the volcano of the same name. It is one of Chile’s most active volcanoes, it always smokes, but on  outbreak, it rarely cause major damage.

The tour down was with many hairpin turns in great contrast to the ride up in Argentina, where we hardly noticed we drove up.

Laying next to a lake, Pucon is in some ways similar to San Martin, but there is a lot more activity and a different type of tourists. Lake Villarrica is divided into two in the middle of Pucon by a peninsula. On one side is a fine beach and on the other side a little wet land for bird life and boats doing short tours on the lake.

Pucon is in summer a busy and popular tourist destination for both Chileans and foreign tourists. Its popularity is partly because you can climb the volcano. Unless there is a danger of outbreaks, it is possible to climb all the way to the top but only with a local guide. There are also many opportunities for kayaking, mountain biking and river rafting. A real adventure town. I chose it primarily to be able to cross the border without having to reach another bus, but the weather was really nice, so it was a great place to take a “summer vacation” and do nothing. At a short distance from the city there were some waterfalls and thermal baths with very hot water and also close by the National Parks – Villarrica, Hauerquehe and Lake Caburgua, with both a black and white beach in the town of the same name. The white beach had actually, if not white sand then something that was a lot lighter than the volcanic sand on the black beach.

On the outskirts of the city there was something that resembled an empty river bed but here it was not water that was missing, but space to collect mud, water etc. when the volcano is erupting.

In Pucon’s center there are numerous outdoor restaurants and cafes. One agency after another selling adventure activities, and a lot of people when you come in the high season. Aside from the beach and the boat trips there is not a lot happening at the lake, but it was a nice relaxing and quiet place compared to the busy life in the city center. I enjoyed my stay here and I did not do much apart from enjoying the nice weather. I had a room with a balcony at my hostel and internet did usually work fine both there and at many of the city’s cafes and restaurants.

Valdivia

My goal was to go to Santiago and Valparaiso, but I had been recommended to go to Valdivia many times, so I did. It is just outside the lake area, and the city also do not have a lake, but several rivers. It is not far from the Pacific coast and only a few hundred kilometers north of Puerto Varas, so I was almost back to square one for my arrival to this area.

Until the day before my bus to Valdivia, I had only heard good things about the city, but now that I was leaving, I met people who did not like the city. I think I’m inclined to agree with the latter. The town is nothing special, but the area along the rivers is cozy and there are huge fish market also with fruits and vegetables. It probably did not help on the impression that in the days I was there, the city was hit by a heat wave. It was too hot to walk around the city in 36 gr., And there was really not much to look at besides a square in the middle of the city. If there were more, I missed it. The city is normally known as a city where is always rains so for the locals, it was a little unusual with such high temperatures. Rain in Spanish is lluvia, and the city is therefore often called Val-lluvia.

Along the river there is a long promenade and here was specially in the evenings a lot of people and activities.

There were many different tours on the rivers of different length, and you can go almost all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Most boats stopped, however, at the city Corral, where there is an old Spanish fort and at a small island Mancera overlooking the delta.

You can also take a local bus to Niebla a trip of about 1/2 hour and buses were running almost non-stop. From here it is easy to cross the river to Corral with one of the many boats

You could clearly see it was high summer as almost all the cities were preparing for a music festival.

After a few days it was time to head north. A 10-hour night tour by bus and I will be in Santiago.

Summary

The lake area is a beautiful area. Not so exceptional and dramatic scenery as in southern Patagonia, but a great place for a vacation. There are plenty to do for those who want to be active, and with the many beaches and other activities on the water it is wonderful place for those who just want a relaxing holiday. Nature, with all National Parks, are beautiful and has much to offer, and volcanoes provide a unique expression when one is not accustomed to them. They are next to each other like pearls on a string and no matter where you are in the area, you can often spot one or more of them.

You can see more photos here