LAKE DISTRICT: Puerto Varas & Chiloe Island

Fulfilling our philosophy of having deep knowledge of every destination, we want to share with you a new site inspection of the Sportstour Team.

During 5 days we travelled to the Lake District and Chiloe Island. Our journey started in Puerto Montt, the gateway to the Lake District’s, famous for its National Parks with millennial forests, volcanoes and the German pioneers’ influence reflected in the architecture and the life style. By a 30 minutes ferry crossing of the Chacao Strait we reached the mystical Chiloe Island. We had the chance to go horseback riding in the countryside close to the city of Castro.

Next, we visited the coastal village of Dalcahue, located just 20 minutes from Castro. Its name is Huilliche for “places of dalcas,” referring to the boats built by the first inhabitants of this archipelago. The main attractions are its famous and picturesque artisan market, and the Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores Church, which is covered in larch shingles. Built by Jesuit missionaries in 1849, it’s one of 16 Chiloé churches that have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Another must see attraction for every visitor who comes to this community, are the traditional “Cocinerías”. These are small restaurant venues that have a long history, and it is here where visitors can find the typical food of the area and taste the traditional flavors of Chiloé Island.

Upon returning to the main land we continued our journey to Puerto Varas, a thriving and beautiful city at the shores of the Llanquihue Lake. Among other sightseeing, we ventured through virgin hills and volcanoes, alongside the way to Ensenada; a visit to the Petrohué River Falls in the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park was made. Among its impressive vegetation, we sailed the Andes with the Andean Crossing through the Todos los Santos Lake to Peulla. This is a hidden village with natural and almost untouched touristic attractions, where we experienced a canopy ride through an ancient forest.

The trip allowed us to enjoy the whole vision of the Lake District and Chiloe Island`s products; including new developments such as Hotel Refugia and Hotel Parque Quilquico; that have become part of the Sportstour® experience.

We invite you to explore this destination with us