Puerto Varas is one of the most beautiful places we visited during our time in South America. We were surprised we hadn’t ever heard of it before, so we wanted to share our experience and suggestions to spread the love of this awesome little city!
We kind of ended up here by accident. We were originally supposed to stay in Puerto Montt, but a bizarre set of circumstances led to our hostel reservation being canceled at the last minute. With nowhere to go, we found a hostel in nearby Puerto Varas and hopped on a bus downtown. The trip took about 40 minutes and cost about $1 USD. We were so grateful that our plans changed because Puerto Varas blew us away! Here is what we found.
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There were absolutely gorgeous views everywhere in the city. Located in the Patagonia region of Chile, there is a large glacial lake, picturesque snow capped volcano, and european style architecture. Nearby Parque Nacional Petrohue features winding paths through flower filled fields and along the lake, all in the wake up Osorno Volcano.
The food in Puerto Varas was delicious and abundant. Our first night there we found a delicious Italian restaurant called Da Alessandro that had gluten free pasta (Jackson is gluten free and I am vegetarian so between the two of us finding a restaurant can be difficult!). Besides that, there were a ton of coffee and chocolate shops. Plus they had 2 large grocery stores downtown, and a few smaller bodega style shops as well.
The weather was just perfect! We were there in November, heading into the summer. It was mostly sunny and warm, but not too hot and no humidity. The lake was crystal clear, cold, and refreshing. It was the perfect time of year for a visit, but we recommend being mindful if traveling during the winter – it gets cold down there!
Puerto Varas also has some of our favorite hostels. As we mentioned, we headed to Puerto Varas with no plans on where to stay. Using HostelWorld we were able to book two dorm beds for that night at Casa Apel Hostel. They were very friendly and accommodating, and we ended up having the room to ourselves. The hostel had a large kitchen and common area, an upstairs lounge, and was close to the waterfront. The next day, we switched to Mapatagonia, which is closer to the main downtown area, and easily our favorite hostel in South America. The facilities were awesome, the staff knowledgeable and friendly, and it was in a very walkable area. The building had 2 kitchens, a fireplace, two separate chill areas, and a large back yard! We highly recommend staying at either of these hostels for your visit!
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Recommended Itinerary:
- Day 1: Explore the town
- Check out the shops, cafes, and waterfront. Stock up on groceries. Sit on the beach or walk along the boardwalk.
- Day 2: Parque Nacional Petrohue
- Just an hour and a half bus ride away is a hiker’s paradise. The bus costs $2500 Chilean Pesos (about $3 USD) each way and runs every 45 minutes from 8 AM to 6 PM. We took the 9:45 AM bus there, hiked for ~5 hours, and caught the 3:30 PM bus back. Pack a lunch to save money and enjoy a picnic on the beach or along the trails.
- Day 3: Driving around Puerto Varas
- We rented a car for the day and drove out to the coast. Our first stop was Pargua, a small town with small shops for snacks and coffee. Tolls to this point cost $2050 Chilean Pesos (about $3 USD). There is also a ferry here that you can take to Chacao.
- Instead we continued on to Carelmapu, a small fishing village with a viewpoint you can drive to that overlooks the ocean. We really enjoyed the colorful waterfront homes here.
- Next we drove to Parque Pangal, and found a path that led down to the beach. We tried driving down closer but ended up getting stuck in the sand! Luckily we got out and found a paved road that ended at a gate before the beach started. Here we enjoyed the lunch that we had packed and strolled in the sand.
- Finally, we drove to Frutillar. This is back the way we came and actually past Puerto Varas a bit. Here we found a free parking lot a couple of blocks from the waterfront and found a cafe with wifi. We enjoyed lattes and french fries (what a combo!), then drove home to drop the car off.
- Day 4: Relax
- By this point we had been running around eagerly exploring, and we were exhausted! Plus, we had some things to catch up on, so we posted up by the fireplace and worked on our computers. We made lattes at the hostel and watched Lord of the Rings. We got burrata from the grocery store and had a cheese and wine date night. In a word, it was perfect.
If you have more time, we highly recommend you explore this area to your heart’s content! You won’t regret it.
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That sums up our time in beautiful Puerto Varas. We hope this helps you in your journey. Please reach out with any thoughts, we want to hear from you!
Happy traveling, friends!
Summer & Jackson
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