A tour for the lakes of South  

 
 
The most advisable thing is that you begin the trip in "Santiago" (Chile), a cosmopolitan city, with a well conserved colonial architecture and a incredible European atmosphere. It is located very near the mountain range of the Andes, it has beautiful snowy mountains that also help to the orientation.  
 

After you will give a tour a couple of days for Santiago, you can take an airplane until "Port Montt" to arrive finally to "Port Varas", a beautiful town of fishermen that is also called "The city of the flowers", from this place the itinerary can be sometimes in ship, other times for earth (in bus).  

 
Very early in the morning there are buses that travel "Port Varas" to go out with the travelers until the Crossing of Lakes.  
 





 
It begins to skirt the lake "Llanquihue", the second bigger lake of Chile and whose name means "Submersion". The bus makes a stop in the National Park "Vicente Pérez Rosales" to be able to contemplate the jumps "Petrohué" river, the great flow of its waters ends in spectacular cascades on volcanic stones and how bottom landscape they are 2 volcanos: The "Osorno", called before "The demon of the snow", and The "Calbuco."  

 
Most of the days in this area are rainy, from Julio until September, the temperature generaly is below 10°C, however, there are radiant days, being able to a better contemplate the landscapes of the area and their beauty.  

 
When the stop concludes, the bus continues during 20 minutes, until arriving to "Petrohué", a town located in the lake "Todos los Santos", there is the jetty where the people ascend to comfortable catamarans and navigate for 2 hours aproximately. The ship advances and the sun can illuminate the snowy mountains crests.  

 
It is a landscape that you would never forget: Deep waters with esmerald color, forests of Coihues, olivillos, pines and other centennial trees surrounding the lake, A cloudless blue sky… and many other marvels.  
In total, exist 120 different lakes, there are even some lakes that it isn't still possible to arrive.  
 
 
The ship begins its voyage for the lake toward Peulla (Town near the frontier with Argentina, to 150 m.s.n.m), the good thing is that there aren't strong movements and they are sometimes possible to see small wooden cabins in the banks. Later, the catamaran arrives to "Peulla", where a big bus waits the travelers to take them to the hotel. Even in the middle of the highway, the nature continues surprising with cascades, creeks and ferns forests.  
 

This place is called "The paradise of the husbands", because it doesn't have "Shopping" (parchases stores), there are only 120 people and some dogs and mount cats… Also, you can count the children with the fingers of the hand.  

 
Many guides spoke of this place like "The perfect place for not making anything", but at the present time "Peulla" is an important center of adventure tourism and at the same time a silent place, perfect for the rest and view.
This is a trip to see and see again, to enjoy and admire the grandiose of the nature, besides to understand it and to feel it, you try to make it and you Hill discover the incredible sensation.  
 
 





 

Heading for Argentina  

 
After taking a good breakfast in the hotel, the trip can continue toward "Bariloche", you can arrive for a narrow highway from "Peulla", with the "Tronador" mount always visible (more than 3.400 meters). 
The highway crosses the mountain and goes into a dense forest of native trees, more than 20 varieties of ferns and a constant rain during the whole journey until arriving to "Port Frias", where the Argentinean customs and a small called lake "Feliz Frías." (Cold Happy)  
 

After the travelers group takes a hot chocolate in this place, they can ascend to the catamaran and navigate 20 minutes the lake "Frias" (approximately), until "Puerto Alegre." (Happy Port)   
When you get off the catamaran, a bus will surely be waiting for a trip of 10 minutes until "Port Blest", skirting the river "Frias" 
 

In half of the afternoon you will be able to take another catamaran that begins the final tract of the trip, it crosses until the opposed bank and stops in "Puerto Cántaros", few meters of the jetty there is a kind of natural tunnel that leads to the Valdivian forest. There you will have the possibility to make a slow walk, for a path of 700 wooden steps in middle of trees with more than 1.500 years of antiquity, it is a majestic Light and shade.  
 
 
Out, are the illuminated lakes and very inside is the tight forest of trees that touch theirselfs in the higest part and they form a kind of natural roof.  
 

At the end of the steps, the horizon goes clearing up and an imposing show is presented: the lake "Los Cántaros", which is located in the summit of a hill and their outlet gives origin to the cascade that takes its same name. They exist other 2 or 3 miradors that give view to this wonderful landscape, to contemplate the jumps of water sprinkling and refreshing everything around. It is a journey that you should not get lost.  

 
After the walkers return very happy to have seen so much beauty, they return to the catamaran and the trip is undertaken toward "Bariloche", the continuous journey for the lake "Nahuel Huapi" (it means "tiger's island").  

 
If you want to admire more nature, you will surely be able to "play" with the gulls that take a breath in the covered of the ship. Then, the ship will enter to the "Brazo Brest" and some minutes later it is possible to sight the Island "Centinela", where the creator of the natural parks is buried: Perito Francisco Pascal Moreno, the captain of the ship will make sound 3 times the horn in honor to his memory.  
 





 
 
To the 5:00 pm it is hour of the tea (or coffee or the maté), it is generally accompanied by a alfajor padded of chocolate and a very delicious sweet of milk ("dulce de leche") that returns the heat to the body. After almost an hour and a half of sailing, it is reached to see "Puerto Pañuelo" and the "Llao Llao." Hotel.
 

The jetty is replete of small crafts where the catamaran will should "to make comfortable" in any small space, but with the grandiose view of the lake "Nahuel Huapi" extending among the mountains. Here, the calm travel by the lakes, concludes.  
 
 
 






 
Indexes  
Revista Avianca  
Year: August o2005  
Author: Adelaida of the Corral  
Title: To navigate the lakes of the South  
 
 



 
 
See more than the journey for the lakes  


 
 
 
Stories of an Inhabitant of Peulla