Part of the reason we came to Hornopiren was to visit some natural hot springs here. Our guidebooks only mention a couple but it seems there are many more.

Today was a bit extravagant. Through the landlady here, we managed to charter a boat to the Island of Llancahue, a wooded island out in the Hornopiren estuary. At the ferry ramp we watched it being trailered in to the water. It was an old fishing boat, now fitted with an outboard engine. On the way we passed fish farms and a colony of sea lions, some of whom were squeezing on to the smallest ledges. The racket they make is amazing.


It took about an hour to reach the island and we tied up to the pier. The hotel is a little ramshackle but a new block of accommodation seems to have been recently built. We didn't visit the hotel, just the two large pools of hot waters overlooking the fjord. It was overcast today, and even rained but it was pleasant as the sun here is so high, normally we can not stay in the water long for fear of sun burn.


Down on the shore was a very slhallow concrete pool with very hot water. Below it you could mix the hotel waters with the waves and paddle. There were lots of shellfish attached to the rocks.


There weren’t that many people there. Two other families, one of whom had arrived on their own boat. For the most part we had a large pool to ourselves, but were joined at one point by a father and daughter from Curico. The little girl was 6 and wanted to learn English from us.




Around lunchtime, everyone else disappeared and we sat in the pools watching the ferry and other small craft pass by. A family turned up in kayaks for a bathe.




After about three hours we showered and went a quick trot around the complex. There were some small fox terrier puppies playing in the gardens. The resort even has its own chapel.




Our boatsman had waited whilst we bathed. He took us back and particularly recommended Termas Porcelana which is a few hours away by boat in the Parque Pumalin reserve. Back at the slipway, the daily ferry to Chaiten had come in.




Tomorrow we leave here. We haven’t been to a cash machine since we left Anticura and the cabana only accepts cash. The only ATM in town was a Banco Estado and it didn’t accept VISA credit cards. We think we have enough money to pay the bill but…. We did however find a useful website which will tell you where your nearest VISA ATM is:




http://www.visa.com/atmlocator/index.js p#(page:home)




Ours is in Puerto Montt, 100 km north and a ferry ride away!




In the compound next to our cabana we saw some curious birds, which, via the magic of the internet, Kevin identified as buffed neck ibis.




Dinner was a broccoli and cauliflower pasta bake.