Outings and excursions · Puerto Montt

In the City Outskirts

Text: Pablo Etchevers · Photos: Eduardo Epifanio

The alternatives for tours in the city outskirts are plentiful and quite varied. Those leaving from Angelmó and the ones touring the Southern Road stand out.

At Angelmó, visitors may get on board the watercrafts that sail the Tenglo Channel and pass by the island bearing the same name, separated from the continent only by this narrow channel that protects other islands such as Huar, Maillén, Puerto Pesquero, and de los Curas, until it finally reaches the Puerto Montt bay.

Two kilometers away from Angelmó lies Anahuac Harbor. This is a fishing village whose houses are located on the hillside facing the channel.

The shore area bordering this small water corridor is Chinquihue, a small town with an intense sea life evidenced in its shipyards, seafood farms, the fish market, and a large beach. There, several gastronomical facilities offer the best typical dish of the region.

The right scenery
The right scenery
Fishing landscape
Fishing landscape
A village of fishermen
A village of fishermen

Also at Angelmó, passenger motorboats access Cochamó after a 6-hour voyage. A village of fishermen and agricultors which perfectly symbolizes the activities performed by the villagers at the vast region of fjords and lakes. If you choose to return across solid ground, you can pass through Ralún, Ensenada, Puerto Varas, and Puerto Montt.

Another option in the city outskirts is touring the old road leading to Lake Llanquihue. Firstly, Puerto Varas is accessed along the 20-kilometer-long rubble road, and then the tour continues towards the East. On this road, visitors may see the President’s Chair, where it is said that President Pedro Montt, fosterer of colonization, and all his retinue sat down during their inspection visit to the railway construction site. From that point onwards, the road is made of dirt and leads to Lake Puerto Chico, next to Puerto Varas.

The excursion to Lake Chapo is another interesting option, always leaving from Puerto Montt. It follows the road leading to Pelluco and then continues onto the district of Chamiza. Before crossing the bridge, the tour turns left into a path that goes between the river valley and the Calbuco Volcano.

After almost thirty kilometers, it comes across a small village called Correntoso, which is inhabited by about 300 people. Then, it takes the road leading to the Cahmiza River fall. It crosses the bridge and enters the Alerce Andino National Park, which includes 20,000 hectares of birch forests and about fifty lagoons.

Finally, 13 kilometers away from Correntoso, lies Lake Chapo, a small water mirror with a beach and surrounded by high mountains lodging thick forests on their hillsides. The Alerce Andino National Park is located forty-six kilometers from Puerto Montt. The forest scenery, the Sargazo Lagoon, and the Lenca River Valley stand out.

Sport fishing may be practiced in Lake Chapo. But one of the greatest attractions is to sail the Reloncaví Estuary.

The beautiful Southern Road, along with the surroundings of La Arena Harbor, is another great local attraction in the Lake District. Beautiful villages such as Pelluco, Coihuin, Quillaipe, Metri, Lenca, Chaica, and the Reloncavi Estuary itself contribute color and history to a tour that distributes knowledge about aquaculture and the lifestyles of fishermen and peasants.

The entire scenery is sprinkled with fossil birches during the low tide, and dozens of people picking up fruit and algae may be observed along the fifty-kilometer-long path from Puerto Montt to La Arena Harbor.

Passenger motorboats
Passenger motorboats

Tips

Find appropriate information to choose the tour you are looking for. Some visitors just to watch, whereas others need to have more active participation in excursions, whether hiking, climbingeven fishing. Tourist offices and travel agencies are ideal spots to find out about the most convenient tour.
Each of the excursion has its own circuit and map. They can be accessed by asking for information at the Puerto Montt Tourist Office.

See alsoHotels and lodging in Puerto Montt

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Hotels and lodging in Puerto Montt