Isla de Chiloé
Ferry to Chiloé
In most parts the Panamericana seems to be a road running straight down to the south. Especially at the southern end of Chile this changes because of the natural conditions. Close to Puerto Montt, before entering the area with the main natural preserves of Chile, the Panam – here called Ruta 5 – cannot simply lead on. You’ll need to cross the waters to Chiloé island by ferry boat.
Saltos del Petrohué
There are many beautiful landscapes in the lake region of Chile. One very beautiful is close to the volcano Osorno: when you follow road 225 towards Lago Todos los Santos it ends there in a very small place called Petrohué – with a nice hotel at a very quite place. On your way you can find a small but nice site: the waterfalls of Petrohué river.
Hotel Solace
The hotel Solace in Puerto Varas, Chile is the last overnight stop I made at the country. It is a very nice and plain hotel on a small hill at the center of Puerto Varas. You can easily walk to the city center from here and you’ll have nice views on the city; you’ll have a car park (which is important, as the rest of the city doesn’t offer much parking lots) – and it is very comfortable to explore the city frome here.
Erdbeerbeet
During different times in history, German settlers came to Chile and started a new life here. In this region, in 1846 settlers arrived and built up the capital – Puerto Montt. In 1853 a new town was created at the shore of the beautiful (but artificially created) Lago Llanquihue: Frutillar – which means strawberry bed.
German settlers, river cruises & sea lions
The city of Valdivia in the south of Chile dates back to 1552. It is 15 kilometers away from the sea but is located at the crossing of three mighty rivers: Rio Cruces, Rio Callecalle and Rio Valdivia. This place has seen many important events in history; conflicts with the native Mapuche and between the Spanish and Chilean fleets. From 1846 on German settlers began to live here and added a lot to the city – even a German brewery.
Continue reading “German settlers, river cruises & sea lions”
German brewery
What do German settlers do first, when they arrive? They start a brewery. In Valdivia, Chile in 1846 the first settlers arrived and the Cerveceria Kunstmann was created instantly, promoting their beer in Chile under the claim “… das gute Bier“. They brew traditional Lager and Bock beers, but also some Chilean specialties and rather experimental things like chocolate beer. Be brave but better keep your lips away from the honey (miel) beer.
Hotel Encanto del rio
The hotel Encanto del rio is a typical and kind of old-fashioned hotel in Valdivia, Chile. Its main features are that it is located close to the river Callecalle, has some public parking lots in front of the hotel and you can easily walk on foot to the fish market (where the river cruises start) and the city center. On this way you will find some spots where sea lions enjoy the sun. I could watch them for hours…
Hotel Malalhue
The hotel Malalhue in Pucón, Chile is nothing special. It is a nice everyday hotel at the main road of Pucón – a town close to Lago Villarrica. When leaving the hotel there are only other hotels around; and maybe a shopping center for daily needs. Pucón is a town that has been built for relaxation, for canoeing, for canopy.
Termas Geométricas
I really love spas and saunas; I already tried a lot of those – but the Termas Geométricas close to Coñaripe, Chile ruled everything out. The area around Lago Villarica is full of hot springs because of the four volcanoes around. I was staying at Pucón and surrounded the Volcán Villarrica by car to access this very remote place for relaxation.