Lake Disrict - Chile

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We drove in a rental from Puerto Montt to Ensenada on Lago Llanquihue. The lake is South America's third largest natural lake. It covers 338 square miles and plunges to 1,148 feet. It is crystal blue and reminds us of Lake Tahoe. German immigrants colonized the area in the 19th century, the architecture reflects the Bavarian towns of Germany. On the way to Ensenada we stop in Puerto Varas to shop at the upscale sporting goods stores here and to check out the city. Puerto Varas is known for its great restaurants and night life. It is located on the lake with a view of the volcano Osorno. We continue from Puerto Varas around the lake to Ensenada. We have rented a cabin in the woods so we can have a quiet cabin experience. Most tourist stay in Puerto Varas but all of the outdoor activities can be found near Ensenada and people take tours to the Ensenada area to climb the volcano or snow ski down it, horseback riding, kayaking, white water rafting or drive to other lakes.

From our cabin we walked to the lake and met llamas and stray dogs along the way. We are the only people on the beach as far as we can see. The volcano Orsorno can be seen from anywhere on the lake. We take a drive part way around the lake and are amazed at all the beautiful views. We stop for a short hike and see a fox near a picnic table. We spent one morning hiking Osorno, it is a snow skiing resort in the winter (June and July) and you can rent ski clothes and buy a lift ticket to get up the volcano to hike. It is raining the day we are there and the upper ski lift was closed.

After two nights at the cabin in the woods we drive to Frutillar a city on the lake, west of Puerto Varas. We stay at a motel that has apartment rooms with two bedrooms, two bathrooms a kitchen and small living room. We rent the apartment because it is nice to have the extra space. We are one block from the Main Street and we enjoy walking along the lake. We are surprised to find people swimming in the lake even though the water is cold and the weather is in the low seventies. Frutillar has a beautiful contemporary theater on the water that has a pizza restaurant in the building. The pizza was some of the best I have ever had and they had great wine also.

We drove to Puerto Octay around the lake as a day trip. The road around the lake was dirt once we left Fruitillar, this is not uncommon, even in the cities if you leave the main streets the streets are dirt. The guide books called Puerto Octay a "charming holiday destination with streets of well-conserved German architecture", who ever wrote that has never been to Puerto Octay. The buildings have not been maintained at all or painted in 50 years. We walked around the town and had lunch at a small restaurant.

We liked Frutillar a lot and the Lake District with all its natural beauty.

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Comments

[stanley skiba]

Travel Adventures
Loved the photos from the last couple of days. The lake district is just spectacular as far as the scenery and the old German influence. As far as there is so much culture in the cities, I still love some of the more remote areas and smaller towns. The pizza looks delicious.

[AndersonsAdventures]

Lake District
The Lake area is so beautiful, you can thank Mark for all the pictures.