Puerto Varas

On Llanquihue’s southwestern shore, Puerto Varas (population 24,309) is 996 kilometers south of Santiago [1], 20 kilometers north of Puerto Montt [2], and a short distance east of Ruta 5, the Panamericana.

North of Puerto Montt [2], picturesque Puerto Varas appeals to conventional tourists who loll on Lago Llanquihue’s beaches, admire its century-old mansions, sup in some of Chile’s best restaurants, and follow the bus-boat crossing to the Argentine resort of Bariloche via Lago Todos los Santos.

Increasing numbers of more adventurous visitors, though, also appreciate its access to the Río Petrohué’s white-water rafting, Volcán Osorno [3]’s snow-clad slopes, Cochamó [4]’s wild backcountry, and other outdoor attractions. To the southeast, beyond Cochamó, a new bridge over the Río Puelo also provides an alternate route to Hornopirén [5] and the Carretera Austral.

Varas’s architectural heritage, stemming from its German colonization as a 19th-century lake port, lends it its character. While a recent building boom has resulted in nondescript housing developments on the outskirts, it’s also brought more stylish infill downtown; many visitors prefer Varas to nearby Puerto Montt [2], and not just as a base for excursions.

Getting There

By Air: Puerto Varas is close enough to the area’s principal airport has good regional and long-distance bus connections, and is also on the popular bus-boat route to Argentina. LAN/LanExpress (Av. Gramado 560, tel. 065/234799) flies out of Puerto Montt [2].

By Bus: Rather than a central terminal, both regional and long-distance bus companies use their own (sometimes shared) offices near the Plaza de Armas. Some long-distance carriers from Puerto Montt [2] pick up northbound passengers here; some regional carriers have no fixed offices but pick up and drop off passengers en route through the city.

Santiago [1] carriers Pullman Bus (Walker Martínez 317, tel. 065/341140) and Cruz del Sur (Walker Martinez 239-B, tel. 065/231925; terminal at San Francisco 1317, tel. 065/236969) share offices with Buses Norte Internacional, which goes daily to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina (US$21, six hours). Buses Jac and Cóndor Bus (both at Walker Martínez 227, tel. 065/237255) also go to Santiago.

Puerto Montt [2]–based Thaebus shuttles frequently to [Puerto Varas, stopping at the corner of San Bernardo and Walker Martínez. It also goes at 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. daily to Petrohué [6], on Lago Todos los Santos (US$2.50), returning at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Expresos Puerto Varas (tel. 065/232253) also goes frequently to Puerto Montt [2]; it is commonly known as “Mitsubishi” for its minibus fleet.

By Train: Ferrocarriles del Estado trains between Temuco [7] and Puerto Montt [2] stop at the Estación del Ferrocarril (Klenner 350, tel. 065/232210).

By Bus-Boat: Puerto Varas is one of the intermediate points on the bus-boat shuttle from Puerto Montt [2] to Bariloche (Argentina) via Lago Todos los Santos, so it’s possible to purchase tickets and board the bus to Petrohué here. Most of the year, buses leave Puerto Montt at 8 a.m. daily for Petrohué [6], returning at 6 p.m.; April–mid-September, though, they run Wednesday–Sunday only, leaving Puerto Montt at 9 a.m. and returning at 5 p.m. For details, contact Turismo Peulla (San Juan 430, 2nd floor, tel. 065/236150, www.turismopeulla.cl [8]).