Puerto Varas is a city in the Región de los Lagos, South of Chile. It is right on Lake Llanquihue, Chile's second largest lake. Depending on the weather, you have a wonderful view of the Osorno volcano from the shore.
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| Puerto Varas | ||
| region | Región de los Lagos | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 26.172 (2017) | |
| height | 56 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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background
Puerto Varas is strongly influenced by the influence of German immigrants. There are many German names on the streets, but there is also a large "Club Alemán".
As a starting point for exploring the region, Puerto Varas is better suited for vacationers than Puerto Montt.
getting there
By plane
The nearest airport is near the one 25 km away Puerto Montt. From there there are connections to several times a day Santiago and Punta Arenas.
By train
The city lies on the north-south route from Santiago de Chile to Puerto Montt. The train station is about 5 minutes north of the city center.
The train service is currently (April 2019) suspended south of Chillán.
By bus
Out Santiago de Chile Several times a day buses from various companies run to Puerto Montt, which not only stop in Temuco, Valdivia and Osorno but also in Puerto Varas. The buses usually run overnight and arrive in Puerto Varas between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM.
There is no central bus station in Puerto Varas. The buses of the individual companies stop at different stops:
- Tur-Bus and some smaller bus companies use a terminal on Av. Del salvador 1070.
- Cruz del Sur stops at the intersection of Av. San Francisco / Calle García Moreno.
- Pullman Bus has its stop at Calle Andrés Bello 434-441.
- ETM stops on Calle Ramon Ricardo Rosas in front of the great hall.
The offices of the bus companies are also located near the respective stops.
Puerto Varas is every minute to the neighboring Puerto Montt tied up.
In the street
Puerto Varas is right on the highway Ruta 5 (two exits) that crosses Chile from north to south.
mobility
Also in Puerto Varas there are micros and collectivos that connect the city center with the outer parts of the city as well as the neighboring towns.
After Puerto Montt there is a very dense cycle during the day. A trip there with the Micro costs 800 CLP (as of January 2017). The buses start in the city center near the Plaza de Armas but stop on hand signals everywhere on the route.
Micros also go to:
- Frutillar
- Llanquihue
- Puerto Chico
- Cochamó in the Cochamó valley
- Ensenada
- Petrohue in the Parque Nacional Vicente Pérez Rosales
Tourist Attractions
Right in the city center you can find the shores of the huge Lago Llanquihue. When the weather is clear you have a good view of the Andes and the volcanoes Volcán Osorno and Volcán Calbuco.
Excursion boats also operate on the lake.
Churches, mosques, synagogues, temples
Buildings
There are some beautiful old buildings, especially villas, to visit in the city:
- Casa cuddle
- Casa Kortmann
- Casa Yungue
- Casa Gotschlich
- Casa Munoz
- Casa Rehheim
- Casona Alemana
- Casa Jupner
- Casa Hitschfeld
Museums
- Pablo Fierro Art Museum. Small art museum on the coastal road with an impressive facade.
Streets and squares
- Coastal promenade
- Plaza de Armas
Parks
- Bernardo Phillipi Park. Hill with a viewpoint north of the center and the train station.
- Cerro Calvario Park. Small viewing hill at the hospital west of the center.
activities
- In the eastern section of the Costanera (promenade) there is a narrow beach on the bank of the Lake Llanquihue.
- From Cerro Philippi you have a good view of the city and the lake. It is about a 30-minute walk from the city center.
- In many places you can Cycles be borrowed. Along the Ruta CH-225 on the southern shore of the lake you can take a bike path to 45 kilometers away Ensenada drive at the foot of the Osorno volcano.
- You can also explore the surrounding area with a rental car (small car from CLP 25,000 per day). The roads around Lago Llanquihue are all paved (on the north-eastern bank only the Rutas U-55-V and U-99-V, which are a little further away. Also the route to the Saltos del Petrohue is paved, the other six kilometers to Petrohue are gravel.
- The lake and the surrounding tributaries are popular fishing areas.
- The Osorno volcano is a worthwhile excursion destination. The road leads up to about 1300 meters. From here you can enjoy a wonderful all-round view of Lake Llanquihue, the Chalbuco volcano and the Andes cordillera, weather permitting. You can also hike from here or take the (quite expensive) chairlift in two stages up to 1700 meters. There is also a ski area there, and you can go on a two-day guided volcano climb.
shop
In the center, between the Plaza de Armas in the east and the Calle San Bernardo in the west, there are lots of small shops. There are also several outdoor and camping specialty stores represented.
At the Av. San Francisco there is a small shopping center on Paseo Puerto Varas, which also houses a branch of the supermarket chain Lider. There is another Lider supermarket at the Av. Gramado. At the Av. Del Salvador there is a Santa Isabel supermarket.
On the eastern edge of the city, near the German school, there is another shopping center with a branch of the Jumbo supermarket chain.
kitchen
Various cafes and restaurants can be found in the center of Puerto Varas as well as on the lakeshore.
- Cassis Cafe, San Juan 430, Puerto Varas. Here you can get delicious food and drinks all day long, including cakes and ice cream. However, at high prices, the beautiful view of the lake is included.
- El Barista Caffé, Walker Martínez 211, Puerto Varas. The very cozy café offers good food, delicious cakes and various coffee specialties.
- Mesa Tropera, Santa Rosa 161, Puerto Varas. Anyone who does not want to do without pizza and pasta in southern Chile is in good hands here. Since the restaurant, which is located in a building built into the lake, is in high demand, you should reserve your table or bring time with you. No free WiFi, you rely on conversations with your table neighbor.
- Puerto Cafe, Del Salvador, Puerto Cafe. Cozy little restaurant with good prices right on the main shopping street of Puerto Varas.
- El Retorno, San Pedro 465, Puerto Varas. A cozy little pizzeria, which also offers small pizzas at good prices for those who are hungry.
- Shoppers, Costanera Vicente Pérez Rosales 1117, Puerto Varas. Modern restaurant with good beer and delicious burgers, a little away from the city center.
nightlife
There is a well-known and large casino near the central one Plaza de Armas, which also serves as an event location again and again.
There are also a few bars and clubs in the city.
accommodation
health
Puerto Varas has both a government hospital, which is currently being renovated, and a private one Clínica Alemana (Dr Otto Bader 810, Puerto Varas).
Practical advice
information
On the lakeshore, near the Plaza de Armas there is a tourist office. Here you can get general maps of the city and the surrounding area and book various excursions. There is also another tourist information center in the city center at the "Del Salvador".
money
In the city center there are various bank branches, machines and money exchange offices.
WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS
There is free WiFi in the central Plaza de Armas, but currently (January 2017) only one iOS device can be registered at the same time. In addition, most cafes and restaurants offer WiFi.
