Saturday, March 24, 2012

Puerto Varas, Chile

Puerto Varas is another small, touristy town with a lot of German heritage. Situated on Lake Llanquihue it is a very relaxing place to stay, but not a lot of activities on offer. There is a stunning view from the lake front, more volcanos and mountains in the distance.

I took a bus to Petrohue and hiked a 12km return track around the base of Volcano Osorno. It was a pretty easy walk but it has some great views, especially of Lake Todos Los Santos. One the way back I stopped off at a nearby waterfall, once again the water is an amazing shade of blue - green, and crystal clear. It is a shame the fishing tours start at $200 per person!

It is getting colder during the evenings now, luckily the place I´m staying has several fireplaces. Great way to unwind in the afternoon... Sitting in front of the fire, reading, and drinking $2 bottles of red wine.

Went for a 50km bike ride to Frutilla, across train tracks, through fields, along lakes, past pastures full of cows and sheep. I'm ashamed to say that I got off the bike many times to wheel it up the numerous hills...

I have spent a lot of time reading here, it is relaxing but everything can be seen in a day or two. I still have a few weeks before I have to catch the ferry to Patagonia so taking things slow for the time being. It is getting colder by the day, hopefully I haven't left it too late.

More photos here