Ninety seconds on Saltos de Petrohué
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.
The Petrohué leaves Lago Todos los Santos at the landing of the same name and, a short way downstream and still inside the national park, runs into a flow of lava from Osorno. The lava hems the river in, so instead of one clean drop it breaks into chutes and channels across the rock.
Look closely at the stone beside the walkway. It is polished smooth by the sand and grit the current carries over it. The turquoise comes from the way the clear water scatters light.
That colour is not fixed. When mud flows are running off the volcano, the river at the falls turns heavy with sand and silt. The lake that feeds it can also rise by up to 3 metres, so the falls look different from one visit to the next.
The park around the falls was created in 1926, and this is still its most famous walk. The falls also mark the way in to Lago Todos los Santos, upstream.
Pases Parques, the national parks' booking site, is where the visit starts. Tickets are sold online only, so buy yours before you leave town and keep the QR code on your phone to show at the entrance.
From the parking, walk in along the marked, cobbled path, then out along a short raised walkway to a lookout with a small rest area.
From the lookout the river breaks across the lava below you, and on a clear day the peak of Osorno stands over the trees. A small bridge takes you closer to the water itself. If you want more, paths lead off through the woodland around the falls.
A guided tour from Puerto Varas is one of three ways out to the falls, alongside your own car and the minibus. It suits you if you would rather not drive or work out the buses.
Expect company at the lookout, because the falls are one of the most popular day trips in the region.
The rock near the water is slippery, so wear shoes with grip and stay on the marked paths, as the park requires. Bees can gather around the falls, so if you are allergic, carry your medication. Bring water and sun protection, and leave the drone at home: drones are banned throughout the park.
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