Chilean Fjords

The Lake District

This lush green region, stretching for hundreds of kilometres, dominated by towering volcanoes and beech forests must be one of the most beautiful in Chile. It is home to, amongst others, the third largest lake in South America, Lake Llanquihue. It is surrounded by National Parks, including the Vicente Pérez Rosales NP Chile’s oldest, established 1926. The area was once the stronghold of the Mapuche Indians although there are few left now. Today the main towns in this region are Temuco, Pucon and Puerto Montt, all growing industrial and tourist centres. The area is very much influenced by European immigrants. The architecture often has a distinctly German feel to it, Puerto Varas on the shores of Lake Llanquihue is a lovely example of this. Puerto Varas is also a great centre for day trips (for instance, to the unique island of Chiloe with its houses on stilts), treks or just a nice place to relax by the lake with the fabulous views of the Osorno Volcano. It is also a good starting point for the famous lake crossing to Bariloche in Argentina and cruises south through the fjords to Punta Arenas.