Discovering Puerto Varas, Chile on Lake Llanquíhue

The small town of Puerto Varas, Chile is what’s worth it. Lounging along the shores of the magnificent Lake Llanquíhue (pronounced yawn-KEE-way), this tourist village of some 30,000 permanent residents is a picture postcard from every angle. On a rainy day it’s cute and quaint—on a sunny day it’s downright spectacular.

Although it’s never wider than 150 miles, the country of Chile is over 2,700 miles long from top to bottom and it’s…well, it’s just huge! It also has just about every climatic condition to be found anywhere on earth. From the Altacama desert in the north where it has never rained in recorded history to the unique Island of Chiloe in the south with enough rain to flood Seattle, you can pick whatever suits you. But to me, the south is where the true beauty lies. There are the giant salmon farms, blue whale birthing grounds and the open wilds of Patagonia going down to about as close to the Antarctic as you can get. You can go on penguin tours, white water rafting, kayaking, sailing, mountain climbing and biking tours. Only a dedicated couch potato chained to a couch would not absolutely love it here!

In the last few years Chile has begun to appear on the North American tourism radar screens. What’s long been known by insiders of the cruise ship industry, southern Chile and Patagonia are fabulous destinations by boat, ferry, car or plane. The Germans settled a lot of the southern region in the 1800’s and their influence is still here in one of the best infrastructures of all South America.

The town of Puerto Varas, about 600 miles south of Santiago, is where Chileans go for their summer vacations. For 2 months each year during their summertime of January and February it’s a bit of controlled mayhem as hotels and beaches fill, streets become swollen with cars, buses and taxis and the restaurants are packed all day. But magically, on the 1st of March, it becomes quiet again—summer is over and everyone goes home. But for those lucky few in the know, there’s lots of summertime left in Puerto Varas and the months of March and November are some of the most ideal times to visit.

The climate here is about the same as Seattle for you stateside folks. It rains about 100 days a year according to the locals but, since they like to attract tourists, they may be fudging their numbers a bit. Just the same, the rain comes and goes without hanging around for great lengths of time and sunshine is available in abundance. The temperature runs about 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit during these time frames so you’ll be warm all day but may need a wrap at night.

Unfortunately, while I was in Puerto Varas, the 4 star hotel Colonos del Sur burned down . A tragic loss, this was a wonderful place for staying, for meals and just for a relaxing drink. There are other places for every style and taste throughout the town. For a good all round hotel with nice rooms, a good breakfast and an attendant staff, the Terrazas del Lago is really great. For about $50 US per night, it’s comfortable and close to everything. The breakfast bar has all sorts of delightful items from juice to eggs to cheese and coffee. If you prefer being right downtown in the center of activity, the BellaVista Hotel goes for about $120 per night. For $80 per night, above town on the hill is the Guest House run by Vicky Johnson, an American who also runs an excellent store.

If you need to save some funds, the Hospidaje Casa del Alto is excellent. A hospidaje is a family run hostel that’s a notch above the usual backpacker’s fare. Their rooms were clean, comfortable and quiet. Rosie and Rudy are the owners and every morning after a great night’s sleep, you’ll enjoy a very good breakfast downstairs in the family dining room. The best part is that it’s only $20 per night.

The town of puerto varas is very small, but is near Puerto Montt Chile

Tall ship at sunset on lake near puerto varas chile

Restaurants abound and the town has everything imaginable (except, thankfully, the golden arches) from great seafood to quirky artistic foods that cannot be defined, only tried. The Color Café is a wine center with eclectic foods and a changing menu. The La Cebolla (The Onion) restaurant has great full meals served on tables with tablecloths. The Puerto Café downtown has great sandwiches in an Internet Café while the Tapas del Dali on the north end serves up Spanish style tapas, espresso and great gelato. The German Club (Club Alamen) is rumored to have the best full meals in town but, alas, it was not open anytime I was in search of food.

Puerto Varas is one of those destinations you reach only by design, it can’t be found by accident, at least not very easily. The town itself is cute, busy and has everything you’ll need for a short or long vacation. Getting there can be challenging due to the long distances, but it’s worth every hour spent on bus or plane to get there. When you arrive, you can fully relax and take full advantage of some of the nicest people and most beautiful scenery around. Sample an empanada, savor the rush of a pisco sour, take a deep breath of pure air as you gaze across spectacular Lago Llanquihue at the three volcanoes, Osorno, Calbuco and Tronador rising majestically in the distance. Yes, it’s worth the journey.

JC Bailey has been a professional writer for 24 years. His enthusiasm for travel is surpassed by his childlike wonder at unusual finds along the way. Finding the ultimate tranquility of the southern world, he is currently living and traveling in Chile.

More Articles from JC Bailey can be found at:

jcbwrites.com

jcb @ jcbwrites.com

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Discovering Puerto Varas, Chile on Lake Llanquíhue

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Discovering Puerto Varas, Chile on Lake Llanquíhue

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