by Allan Taylor

Created on: May 20, 2008   Last Updated: June 01, 2011

THE CHILEAN LAKE DISTRICT

The Chilean Lake District is the playground for Chileans who live in the capital Santiago and other big cities up north like Concepcion and Temuco. In winter they flock south to ski on the volcanoes Villarica and Osorno and in summer the region is crowded with holiday makers just touring, or hiking, boating and fishing. Tourists join in the fun particularly during summer.

Puerto Montt (population 150,000) is the seaport and capital of the 10th Region of Los Lagos. It is the car-ferry terminal for the fiordland ports of Chaiten, Puerto Chacabuco and Puerto Natales away further south; also for the ferry crossing to the Island of Chiloe. Its siting on the shore of Seno de Reloncavi with a backdrop of snowy Volcan Calbuco is picturesque. The mountain of wood chips here is destined for Japan. Like most ports it is scruffy in parts and many tourists prefer to stay in nearby Puerto Varas. This a pleasant tourist town on the shore of Lago Llanquihue some 20 kms inland. It is only 20 minutes on the minibus between the two towns.

At Puerto Montt you head for the craft market stalls down near the waterfront. It's great to just amble along viewing all the goods for sale and eventually ending up at the fishing port of Angelmo, a walk of about 3 kilometers. The Angelmo fish market offers every imaginable tasty morsel from the sea. Huge salmon and rainbow trout of 3 kilos or more are piled high next to conger eels, corvino, heaps of mussels, octopus, sea urchins and bales of seaweed. Smoked salmon and rounds of farm cheese (queso del campo) are irresistible and they are great to have as a snack when on an overnight bus trip!

The fish market surrounds the dozens of comedores, or tiny seafood restaurants where it is easy to have a lost afternoon sampling superb dishes washed down with vino or beer. The owners are very insistent that you taste their wares making it difficult to choose between them without offending the cooks. Of course you can always come again tomorrow and the next day and so spread the tourist dollar!

Nearby Puerto Varas is a popular town in the Lake District. It is very pretty and small enough to walk around from your hotel or hospedaje near the lake front, on Lago Llanquihue (yankee-way). You can hike up Cerro Calvario beyond the railway line to admire the fantastic view of the lake and distant volcanoes of Osorno and Calbuco covered in snow. Your hotel or hospedaje will probably be close to the Plaza de Armas on the lake shore

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