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The snow-capped cone of Volcán Osorno above the blue water of Lago Llanquihue, with a wooded green point on the right
Osorno across Lago Llanquihue from the Puerto Varas shore
Town brief · 41.3178°S 72.9827°W

Puerto Varas

Book three nights, not one: Osorno can sit in cloud for days, and a spare night gives you the chance of a clear morning at the Petrohué falls.

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Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Puerto Varas

How long
Three nightsa day in town, a day in the park, one spare for the weather
Getting around
On foot in town, minibus beyonda car adds Frutillar and the ski road
When
December to Marchearly December and late March are quieter; rain in any month
Language
SpanishEnglish at hotels and tour desks
Money
The Chilean pesocards in town, cash for the minibuses
Airports
Puerto Montt PMCabout half an hour by road; book the transfer ahead
How long

How many days do you need in Puerto Varas?

Three nights suits most trips. One day covers the town, its lakefront and the church; a second goes to the Saltos de Petrohué and Lago Todos los Santos in the national park. The third allows for a wet day, or for rafting, the Osorno chairlifts or a day in Frutillar.

Getting around

Do you need a car in Puerto Varas?

Not for the town, which is compact and walkable along the lake. Minibuses from the centre run to Ensenada and Petrohué through the day, and rafting operators collect from hotels. A car makes it easier to reach Frutillar, Puerto Octay and the road up Osorno to the ski centre.

When

When is the best time to visit Puerto Varas?

December to March is the main season, with the longest days and the most boats and tours running. Early December and late March are quieter than January and February, when Chilean holidaymakers fill the town. Rain falls in every month, and the ski centre on Osorno runs from about late June to September.

Language

What language is spoken in Puerto Varas?

Spanish. English is spoken at most hotels, tour desks and rafting operators, less so on the minibuses and in small shops, so a few words of Spanish help on a day out to Petrohué.

Money

What currency is used in Puerto Varas?

The Chilean peso. Hotels, restaurants and tour operators in town take cards. The minibuses to Ensenada and Petrohué are paid in cash, so carry pesos for the ride.

Airports

Which airport do you fly into for Puerto Varas?

Puerto Montt El Tepual, PMC, with flights from Santiago, is about half an hour from Puerto Varas by road. Shared and private transfers run to town and are best booked ahead; a hire car can be collected at the airport.

Puerto Varas sits on the south shore of Lago Llanquihue, with Osorno straight across the water and Calbuco to its right. It is the base for the Vicente Pérez Rosales national park, the lake crossing to Argentina, rafting on the Petrohué and the trails on Osorno.

Spend the first day in town. Walk the lakefront from the Plaza de Armas past the pier to La Puntilla, then climb the few streets to the Sagrado Corazón church. Pick up the heritage walk map at the tourist office for the shingled colonial houses on the slope above the centre.

For the park, take a minibus from the centre to Ensenada and Petrohué; they leave about every 45 minutes from half past eight and take about an hour. Buy the park ticket for the falls online by the day before, because it is not sold at the gate. Stop at the Saltos de Petrohué first, then go on to the boat landing on Lago Todos los Santos.

A longer day starts on the same road: rafting on the Petrohué, the Paso Desolación trail, or the chairlifts on Osorno, up the ski road that leaves the lake road at Ensenada. Frutillar's lakefront and concert hall are about half an hour north by the shore road.

If you are going on to Bariloche, the boat and bus crossing leaves Puerto Varas early in the morning and takes a full day. Book rooms early for January and February, Chile's summer holidays. Pack a waterproof and a warm layer even in summer.

Things to do

15
  1. Costanera de Puerto Varas

    Costanera de Puerto Varas

    Waterfront · 1.5 hr

    Lago Llanquihue is the reason you come to Puerto Varas, and the Costanera keeps it in front of you from the town pier to the La Puntilla lookout.

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  2. Lago Llanquihue

    Lago Llanquihue

    Lake · 8 hr

    Driving the full 186 km shore of Lago Llanquihue keeps Osorno, Calbuco and Puntiagudo on your horizon all day, with piers, lake beaches and a waterfall to stop at in the towns between them.

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  3. Río Petrohué

    Río Petrohué

    Waterfront · 4 hr

    Book a half-day raft trip and you run Class III to IV rapids on clear green water, with a guide steering each raft.

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  4. Saltos de Petrohué

    Saltos de Petrohué

    Waterfall · 2 hr

    Few short walks in the Lake District give you this much for so little effort: the turquoise Petrohué breaking white across lava from Osorno, with the volcano itself in view when the cloud lifts.

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  5. Volcán Osorno

    Volcán Osorno

    Landmark · 2 hr

    The near-perfect cone over Lago Llanquihue is one you can get onto: ride the chairlift to a high station for the view, or come in summer and climb past the glaciers to the top.

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  6. Casa Kuschel

    Landmark · 30 min

    Pick up the heritage walk map at the tourist office and start from this house: the route takes in the old shingled houses on the hill above the lake.

  7. Centro de Ski y Montaña Volcán Osorno

    Ski Resort · 5 hr

    Ride up even in summer: the chairlifts run for the view outside the ski season, and from the top you look down on two lakes at once.

  8. Cerro Philippi

    Viewpoint · 1 hr

    Check the sky before you climb: the walk up is short, and the lookout is only worth it when the volcanoes are out.

  9. Hotel AWA

    Hotel

    Book it for a slow stay with a car: the hotel sits on its own up the Ensenada road, away from the town's restaurants, with the volcano in front of you all day.

  10. Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús

    Church · 30 min

    Go inside as well as photographing it: the nave is local timber under a royal blue ceiling, a few minutes' walk up from the lake.

  11. Lago Todos los Santos

    Lake · 5 hr

    If you are going on to Bariloche, cross by water: the boat and bus crossing leaves Puerto Varas early in the morning, and this lake is the first of the three it crosses.

  12. Museo Pablo Fierro

    Museum · 30 min

    Save it for a wet afternoon in town: unlike most museums, this one lets you pick things up and handle them.

  13. Parque nacional Vicente Pérez Rosales

    Park · 8 hr

    Give the park at least one full day: the road from town runs past Osorno to the Petrohué boat landing, and most of the trails start along it.

  14. Paso Desolación

    Volcano · 7 hr

    Start from Petrohué early and carry all your water: it is a full day on open volcanic sand, and the weather on Osorno turns quickly.

  15. Volcán Calbuco

    Landmark · 9 hr

    Attempt the summit only with a guide and a long day in hand: the climb is steep and loose, and much harder than the view from town suggests.

Basemap Meridian · data © OpenStreetMap
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Sources 1

The official pages this guide was checked against.

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