Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas was founded by German settlers on the shore of Lago Llanquihue, and it still has their wooden houses and their pastries. Across the lake stand two volcanoes, the perfect cone of the Osorno and the broken top of the Calbuco. Further east, the Petrohué falls and the emerald Lago Todos los Santos lead towards the border.

Most travellers arrive by the lake crossing from Bariloche: a journey by boat and bus across the Nahuel Huapi, Lago Frías and Todos los Santos, with an optional night at Peulla, in the middle of the forest. There is also a version by bike for the overland stretches. Two nights in Puerto Varas leave time for a walk on the slopes of the Osorno, the Petrohué falls and the old German town of Frutillar. From here, journeys go south to Chiloé and the Carretera Austral, or fly out from Puerto Montt, twenty minutes away.

December to March is the season, with the longest and driest days. Rain is part of the landscape the rest of the year.