Best of the Chilean Lake District

Day 1: Transfer from Puerto Montt to Puerto Varas

Transfer from Puerto Montt to your accommodation in Puerto Varas. Choose the style and level of comfort that best suits you from 5-star luxury with uninterrupted lake views to small boutique bed and breakfast accommodation in a restored historic house. For more information visit our Hotels in Puerto Varas page.

Located on the shores of Lake Llanquihue, the small town of Puerto Varas is the best place in the region to base yourself during your trip. Popular with both Chileans and foreigners, it boasts the best hotels and restaurants in the area and is incredibly beautiful and picturesque.

Accommodation: Hotel in Puerto Varas

Day 2: Trek in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park; Puerto Varas

Today you'll be trekking in the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, the first park to open in Chile, in 1926. This active hike covers 12kms of scenic routes, mostly on a gravel trail. The route begins with some steady uphill sections which will reward you with stunning views over the volcanoes and the surrounding lakes.

As you reach the emerald waters of Lake Todos Los Santos where you end the hike, the Andes mountain range emerges on the horizon. On your return journey back to Puerto Varas you will visit the Petrohue Falls, where waterfalls cascade through channels formed by a combination of lava flows and water erosion.

Meals: Breakfast, box lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Puerto Varas

Day 3: Kayak on Reloncaví­ Fjord; Puerto Varas

For this day of kayaking you'll meet your guide at your hotel in Puerto Varas at 8:30am and enjoy a scenic drive along Lake Llanquihue to the base in Ensenada. Here you can choose between single or tandem expedition sea kayaks and pick up your gear for the day. After another 30mins of driving we'll reach the mouth of the northernmost fjord of Patagonia, Reloncaví­ Fjord in Ralun Bay.

We'll set off from the more protected waters before heading to the south. Around the first peninsula you'll uncover a small cove with green meadows leading to the fjord; a perfect lunch spot. Here Señora Yolanda will be waiting for us on her farm to serve mate (traditional herbal tea)around the wood stove, and her family will eat lunch with us whilst sharing their stories of the land, having lived here for four generations.

After a freshly-brewed coffee and a short walk around the woods it will be time to get back on the water and paddle in front of the snowcapped Yates and Hornopiren volcanoes. There will also be an opportunity to see sea lions and dolphins (local species are smaller than the average ones found in other places of the world) and a rich variety of birds including pelicans, cormorants, and possibly even Humboldt penguins.

We'll then cross the fjord to the entrance of the village of Cochamo, hanging between the Andes and the Pacific. Cochamo valley and its huge granite walls are world-renowned amongst rock climbers and also offer incredible hiking routes. This is where we'll leave the water, transferring back to Puerto Varas with an arrival time of around 7pm.

Meals: Breakfast, box lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Puerto Varas

Day 4: Bike to Lake Llanquihue; Puerto Varas

We'll leave Puerto Varas on our bikes, riding the back roads which offer beautiful views of the lake and the volcanoes. After riding for 3km, we'll arrive at our first stop of the day, the Chester Beer brewery, owned by Derek Way. Derek has been producing traditionally brewed beer for 5 years, and this brewery is the result of those years of effort in providing good beer to his friends in Puerto Varas. 

We'll then cycle on to the old industrial town of Llanquihe and continue further on the old road to Frutillar, bordering the lake and offering stunning views of the mountains and the whole region.

There are some inclines as we pass numerous agricultural farms with a strong German origin and then a gentle descent takes us to Frutillar, one of the most interesting cities of the Lake Llanquihue basin. Its well-preserved German architecture and the city's cultural movement, linked to classical music and the Teatro del Lago(Lake Theatre), make this a very welcoming place. It's also the location of the second craft brewery of the journey, the Salzburg Brewery. It's in hotel grounds with a beautiful lake view. Sampling different varieties of beer such as bock, stout and pale will make a delightful and refreshing end to our journey. We'll take a private transfer back to Puerto Varas.

Meals: Breakfast, box lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Puerto Varas

Day 5: Transfer from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt

After breakfast you'll depart from your hotel in Puerto Varas and take a transfer back to Puerto Montt.

Meals: Breakfast