Time for an update! It feels like we were in Puerto Montt ages ago, but really it has only been a week! We travelled around the area of Puerto Montt to explore Chiloé, and Puerto Varas.

Puerto Montt is a port town, basically you arrive there to be able to see the lake region, the islands and then head further south. Cruise ships dock and tourists get on buses for day trips. We did the same, renting a car and going on a road trip. Isla Grande de Chiloé is a three hour drive (including a ferry ride) away and the island is well known for its wood built churches. Castro was our main stop as it’s located in the center of the island and the capital of the area. The “palafitos” are really quite something to see as they hang out over the water, held up by stilts allowing boats to dock during high tide.

From there we headed to Puerto Varas to check out the lake area and in particular Petrohue and Frutillar. The area of Petrohue is impressive, with the Osorno Volcano (2652m) being visual from all perspectives. Mix the snow cap with an emerald shade of clear water in the river and the lakes and the drive is spectacular! Frutillar is on Lake Llanquihue (Yan-kee-way) and known as the city of music. The impressive local theatre hosts great live music and is situated on the water edge with a portion of the threatre on stilts in the water.

The area all in all is beautiful and the locals have told us it gets better further south!