PUERTO MONTT CHILE

Monday 25^th February 2013.

Following a day’s sailing in calm and glassy seas  from Amalier Glacier we reached the port city of Puerto Montt on the west coast of Chile. The day was cold and overcast and about 12 degrees. This was another tender port

Puerto Montt is a large spread out and sprawling harbour side city of about 300,000 people.It is set on sloping hillsides with a backdrop of two volcanoes. The city centre is reasonably modern and appeared safe and easy to get around. However the middle class areas were old and extremely run down and typical of South American Cities.

We had a land excursion arranged for a city drive and a tour of the countryside areas of Frutillar and the Lake District and town of Puerto Varas. The Chilean Pan American Highway took us through green undulating hills to the shores of Lake Llanquihue  at the base of Osorno Volcano and the town of Puerto Varas, known as the “City of Roses”. It was a pretty little town with the backdrop of the lake and volcano which is known as the”Fiji of South America”.

The Frutillar area is a beautiful and idyllic tourist destination also on the lake and has a German Settler’s Museum built on the hillside overlooking the lake. We spent an hour strolling around the area and the museum and had morning tea at a local Coffee Shop and Café.

The tour gave us a good picture of the countryside and was well worth while. The area itself is worth a visit even if it is only to see the picturesque countryside.

We have another sea day tomorrow before reaching the sea port of Valpariso and the Chilean capital of Santiago. This finishes the second sector of the cruise.