A German lake town at the foot of a perfect volcano

From Puerto Varas: Osorno Volcano & Petrohué Falls Day Tour

The classic Lake District day out and the most-booked tour in Puerto Varas. A guide drives you round the lakeshore to Ensenada, up the flank of the Osorno volcano for the view, then on to the turquoise Petrohué falls and the shore of Todos los Santos lake.

• Drive up the Osorno volcano to the ski and mountain centre (about 1,200 m)
• Views over Lake Llanquihue and the Calbuco volcano
• Walk the basalt channels of the Petrohué waterfalls

Cruce Andino: Puerto Varas to San Carlos de Bariloche

One of South America’s great journeys: a full day from Puerto Varas to Bariloche that links three lakes by catamaran and short bus hops through the rainforest, clearing Chilean and Argentine border formalities on the way. It is a one-way trip, so plan your onward travel.

• Cross the Andes to Argentina by boat and bus
• Todos los Santos, Laguna Frías and Nahuel Huapi lakes
• Views of the Osorno, Puntiagudo and Tronador volcanoes

Puerto Varas: Todos los Santos Lake and Villa Peulla Tour

Takes the first half of the famous Andean lakes crossing and turns it into a day trip. You sail from Petrohué to Peulla, deep in the national park, with the Puntiagudo and Osorno volcanoes behind you, then return the same way in the afternoon.

• Catamaran across emerald Todos los Santos lake
• Free time in the car-free village of Peulla
• Stop at the Petrohué waterfalls on the way

From Puerto Varas: Chiloé Island Full-Day Tour

A long but rewarding day that crosses to the Chiloé archipelago for its stilt houses, shingled wooden churches and island food. The drive is a big part of the day — go knowing that, and pick a clear one if you can.

• Ferry across the Chacao channel
• Castro’s palafitos and its UNESCO-listed church
• The craft and food market at Dalcahue

Puerto Varas: Half-Day Tour to Frutillar and Llanquihue

A relaxed, small-group half day along the western shore of the lake, taking in the town of Llanquihue and the heritage waterfront of Frutillar — the best-preserved German colonial town in Chile.

• Frutillar’s lakefront and the Teatro del Lago
• The story of the 19th-century German settlers
• Time for kuchen with a view of the volcanoes

Puerto Varas: Petrohué River Rafting & River-Kayaking Tour

The Petrohué is one of the most beautiful whitewater rivers in Chile: clear, cold and turquoise, flowing between lava rock and native forest. Guides run it for first-timers and families as well as thrill-seekers.

• Run the glacial-blue rapids of the Petrohué river
• Wetsuits, safety kit and instruction included
• Snack afterwards, with the Osorno volcano overhead

From Puerto Varas: Termas del Sol Hot Springs & Cochamó Valley

A slower, restorative day: down the fjord-like Reloncaví estuary to the village of Cochamó, gateway to Chile’s “Yosemite”, then an afternoon soaking in thermal pools in the forest. Excellent on a cool or drizzly day.

• The Reloncaví estuary road south of the lake
• The wooden church and village of Cochamó
• Around four hours in the Termas del Sol hot pools

Puerto Varas: Osorno Volcano Day Trip by Air-Conditioned Van

A shorter, focused trip for people who want the volcano itself without a full day on the road. Good if you only have a morning free, or if you are pairing it with Frutillar or rafting in the afternoon.

• Straight up to the Osorno volcano viewpoints
• Optional chairlift ride when it is operating
• Back in town by mid-afternoon

Puerto Varas

The City of Roses on Lake Llanquihue

A small lake town founded by German settlers in the 1850s, with shingled wooden houses, a red-roofed church copied from the Black Forest and a waterfront where the Osorno volcano fills the view on a clear day. It is the Lake District’s best base for tours, food and hotels.

Osorno Volcano

Chile’s most perfect cone

The 2,652 m snow-capped cone that rises above Lake Llanquihue and appears on half the postcards in Chile. A road climbs its western flank to a ski and mountain centre with chairlifts, craters and lava fields — a volcano you can visit in an afternoon.

Petrohué Waterfalls

Turquoise water over black lava

Not a tall waterfall but a thundering series of rapids where the Petrohué river forces its way through channels of basalt left by the Osorno volcano. Short forest trails and viewing platforms put you right beside the water, with the volcano behind.

Todos los Santos Lake

The emerald lake with no road around it

A long, green-blue glacial lake wedged between the Osorno, Puntiagudo and Tronador volcanoes, with only forest on its shores. Boats from Petrohué cross it to the remote village of Peulla — the first leg of the famous Andean lakes crossing to Bariloche.

Frutillar

German heritage and world-class music

The prettiest of the lake towns: a waterfront of painted wooden houses, a pier and a beach, and the striking Teatro del Lago concert hall built out over the water. Every summer it hosts the Semanas Musicales, one of Chile’s leading classical music festivals.

Chiloé

Island of myths, palafitos and wooden churches

A rain-washed archipelago a short ferry ride from the mainland, with its own food, legends and architecture: stilt houses over the tide in Castro and a group of wooden churches listed by UNESCO. Easily reached on a long day trip from Puerto Varas.