Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PUERTO MONTT
Established in the 1850s by German
settlers,
PUERTO MONTT
is beautifully
situated on the
Seno de Reloncaví
(Strait of Reloncaví), with snowcapped
mountains clearly visible beyond the
sound on a good day. hough perhaps
not deserving its “Muerto Montt”
(“Dead Montt”) moniker, Puerto Montt
is a large, busy city with traffic-choked
streets; a place to stock up on provisions
and equipment on the way to Patagonia
and a major transport hub, but little else.
The town stretches along the bay, with
Avenida Diego Portales running east
along the seafront towards the
Plaza de
Armas
- the centre, surrounded by banks,
cheap bars and restaurants. West of the
main bus terminal, Avenida Costanera
takes you to the busy passenger port with
a
feria artesanal
(craft market) and the
Angelmó fishing district.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By plane
Aeropuerto El Tepual (
T
65 294161,
W
aeropuertopuertomontt.cl) is located 16km northwest
of the city, with ATMs and car rental desks in the terminal.
Buses ETM (
T
65 294294,
W
busesetm.cl) meets flights
and drops you off at the main bus terminal (CH$1900).
Taxis charge CH$10,000 into the centre and CH$18,000 to
Puerto Varas (shared transfers CH$5000 and CH$12,000
Petrohué
(daily: summer 8.30am-7pm;
winter 9am-6pm; CH$1500; parking
CH$270 per 20min). Some 50km from
Puerto Varas, these is a series of boiling,
churning rapids and falls that shoot
through eroded lava tubes and bizarrely
shaped rocks. With the Osorno volcano
as a backdrop, it's hard to imagine a more
enchanting location. According to local
legend, these rapids are the home of
a monster, Cuchivilu, which resembles
a giant puma with a claw on the end of
its tail. Regular minibuses run here from
Puerto Varas (every 30min; 45min;
CH$2000) on the way to
Petrohué
.
Save money by skipping the jetboat ride
offered at the entrance (you won't see
much more of the falls).
LAGO TODOS LOS SANTOS
From the
Saltos de Petrohué
the road
turns to gravel and continues for another
6km to the tiny village of
Petrohué
itself,
embarkation point for boat trips around
the mesmerizing waters of
Lago Todos
Los Santos
inside the
Parque Nacional
Vicente Pérez Rosales
(trips from
CH$5000-15,000). Minibuses connect
Puerto Varas with the falls and
Petrohué
(CH$2000).
4
PUERTO VARAS TOUR OPERATORS
The area around Puerto Varas offers a variety of outdoor adventures, from challenging climbs
up the nearby volcanoes Osorno and Calbuco to rafting on the turbulent turquoise waters of
the Río Petrohué and exploring the surrounding Parque Nacional Vicente Pérez Rosales on
horseback. The operators listed below are reputable.
Al Sur
Aconcagua, at Imperial
T
65 232300,
W
alsur
expeditions.com. Top rafting adventures along the
Class III rapids of the Río Petrohué, with half-day and
full-day trips available.
Campo Aventura
San Bernardo 318
T
65 232910,
W
campoaventura.cl. The place to go for horse-trekking,
from one day to ten days into the foothills of Cochamo
valley near the Estuario de Reloncaví. Customized
options, like veggie meals, are available, and canyoning
and rafting are also among activities on offer. Day
horserides from CH$50,000. Mid-Oct to early April only.
Ko'Kayak
San Pedro 210
T
9 93105272,
W
kokayak
.cl. Excellent outfit with fun-loving bilingual guides
and an emphasis on safety, specializing in half- to
four-day rafting trips in the Lake District as well as
one- or three-day sea-kayaking trips, and more
challenging multi-day expeditions in the Patagonian
fjords. Half-day rafting on the Río Petrohué CH$32,000.
Pachamagua
Del Rosario 1111
T
65 542080,
W
pachamagua.com. A reliable and professional canyo-
ning specialist arranging adrenaline-filled excursions;
half-day from CH$33,000; full day from CH$54,000.
They can also arrange ascents of the Osorno volcano
(CH$139,000), horseriding (CH$49,000) and rafting on
Río Petrohué (CH$30,000).
Yak Expediciones
T
9 83320574,
W
yakexpediciones
.cl. Long-standing operator specializing in outstanding
sea-kayaking excursions - from one-day trips to Lago
Todos Los Santos (CH$60,500) to multi-day adventures
in the fjords around Parque Pumalín.
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