Chile - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget

Travel Reference

In-Depth Information

respectively). Buy tickets for transport in the baggage

claim area. Daily flights serve Santiago (1hr 50min), Punta

Arenas (2hr 10min), Balmaceda (Coyhaique; 1hr 10min)

and Temuco (45min) with LAN, at O'Higgins 167 ( T 600

5262000), and Sky Airline, at Benavente 405, Local 4

( T 600 6002828).

By bus Both long-distance and local buses arrive at the

large Terminal de Buses ( T 65 283 000, W terminalpm.cl),

at Av Diego Portales 1001 on the waterfront, a 10min

coastal walk from the city centre. The bus station has an

information o ce, ATMs, café and luggage storage. Bus

companies include: Cruz del Sur ( T 65 252872; Transchiloé

( T 65 252872); Buses Turibus ( T 65 254731); Tur Bus

( T 65 253329); Pullman Bus ( T 65 316561); Tas-Choapa

( T 65 254828); and Inter Sur ( T 65 259320). Minibuses

to Puerto Varas (CH$850) depart from the eastern side of

the terminal.

Destinations Ancud (every 30min; 2hr); Bariloche,

Argentina (2 daily; 6hr); Castro (every 30min; 3hr 30min);

Coyhaíque (4 weekly; 24hr); Futaleufú (2 weekly; 12hr);

Osorno (every 30min; 1hr 30min); Pucón (hourly; 7hr);

Puerto Varas (every 15-20min; 30min); Santiago (every

30min; 14hr); Valdivia (every 30min; 3hr).

By ferry The Terminal de Transbordadores lies at Angelmó

1735, several blocks west of the main bus terminal;

Navimag ( T 65 432300, W navimag.com) and Naviera

Austral ( T 65 270430, W navieraustral.cl) ferries have

o ces here. Navimag has departures to Puerto Chacabuco

(July-April 1-4 weekly; 24hr; CH$23,500-CH$27,500 for

shared cabin) and Puerto Natales (1-2 weekly at 4pm;

3 days; CH$200,000 for shared cabin). Check the website

for updated timetables and prices.

Tourist information There is a small tourist information

kiosk at the main bus terminal and a well-stocked and

helpful Turismo Municipal o ce on the Plaza de Armas, on

Varas at San Martín (Dec-March daily 9am-9pm; April-

Nov Mon-Fri 9am-1pm & 2.30-6.30pm, Sat 9am-1pm;

T 65 223027; W puertomontt.cl).

Hospedaje Vista Al Mar Francisco Vivar 1337 T 65

255625, W hospedajevistaalmar.unlugar.com. Justly popular

guesthouse offering excellent value, especially for single

travellers (CH$13,000), with co sy en-suite ro oms overlooking

the city, TVs and wi-fi. Doubles CH$24,000

EATING AND DRINKING

For cheap food and drink, stock up at the vast Unimarc

supermarket in the basement of Paseo Costanera mall, or

make for the line of kiosks at Gallardo and Varas, where

empanadas , burgers and salchi (fried hot dogs on fries) are

just CH$800-900.

Café Haussmann San Martín 185 T 65 293380. This

perpetually busy café (a franchise of the Valdivia original)

is a good spot to sample crudos (steak tartare on toast with

lemon juice, capers and minced onion; CH$1800), or indulge

in some of the delicious cakes on display. Smoking is

permitted. Mon-Sat 9.30am-8.30pm, Sun 11am-8.30pm.

Ì Mercado Angelmó Av Angelmó, to the west of the

ferry terminal; catch any of the Angelmó-bound colectivos

along Av Diego Portales if you don't want to walk (CH$400).

Don't miss this lively fish market and the nearby two-storey

cluster of cheap marisquerías , an ideal place to sample super-

fresh fish and seafood dishes, such as chupe de locos (abalone

chowder) and curanto (clams, giant mussels, potatoes,

dumplings, ham hocks, sausage and chicken in steaming fish

broth; the broth served separately), all for under CH$5000.

Daily noon-8pm.

Sherlock Varas 542, at Rancagua T 65 288888. Named

after the fictional detective, though the legend that he

visited Puerto Montt is an invention of a Chilean author, not

Conan Doyle. It's still the best pub in town, serving excellent

food (fajitas “Sherlock”; CH$2500), good sandwiches and

a wide range of Kunstmann beers (from CH$1900) in a dark,

cosy setting (there's also seating on the street in summer).

Mon-Sat 9am-5am, Sun 9am-2am.

Tablón del Ancla Varas 350, at O'Higgins T 65 367555,

W tablondelancla.cl. Slide into a booth at this sports

diner decorated with caricatures, and fill up on massive

hamburgers and grilled meats. Or if you're particularly

hungry, a pichanga - mountain of chips strewn with bits

of meat and chorizo - should sort you out. Mains from

CH$4000. Daily 10am-2am.

4

ACCOMMODATION

Casa Perla Trigal 312 T 65 262104, W casaperla.com.

The uphill walk is worth it: this is one of the friendliest

homes in town, where you're treated like one of the family.

The owners speak good English and German and offer

Spanish lessons, you can use their kitchen an d internet ,

and eve in camp in t he yard. Camping/person CH$5500 ,

doubles CH$23,000

Hospedaje Rocco Pudeto 233 T 65 272897, W hospedaje

rocco.cl. Enjoy a warm welcome from Argentine hostess

Veronica Rocco and her dogs. The dorms and rooms are cosy,

though a little overpriced, but the breakfast is excellent and

you can use the internet and kitchen. L ocated just fi five blocks

from the Na vimag. Cash only. Dorms CH$12,000 , doubles

CH$25,000