Private Tour of 4 days Puerto Varas, Chiloé, Los Lagos Chile

About 50 kilometers from Puerto Varas we find the area called Saltos de Petrohue. This sector is part of the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, a Valdivian humid temperate native forest reserve, which will make you connect with the elements between dense forest and river with pure waterfalls.

After a walk in the middle of the forest to enjoy the magnificent Petrohue waterfalls, at the foot of the Osorno Volcano, we will continue to Todos los Santos Lake. This lake, also known as Emerald Lake for the color of its waters. It is surrounded by low, medium-height forests made up of numerous native trees such as Ulmo or Tepa, and the Osorno, Puntiagudo and Monte Tronador volcanoes. These forests remind us of the cold steppes of the young Canadian forests.

Not far from there, we will continue our visit on the road to the Osorno volcano, where we will observe the vegetation that will change as we ascend, going from dense and high forests, to a lower nature, mosses and lichens that perfectly colonize this environment. wet. In spring, the skirt of the volcano is adorned with all the colors of the rainbow thanks to its flowering of native lupines and other flowers. We will have the opportunity to listen to the song of the birds of the area.

At the end of the day, after visiting the Petrohué Falls, the Todos Los Santos Lake and the Osorno Volcano, we will end up heading south in the town of Cochamó. From this town on the banks of the Reloncavi estuary, we will hike with moderate difficulty for approximately 1 hour round trip to reach the Entre Volcanes panoramic viewpoint which, as its name indicates, gives us an impressive view of the estuary and the Osorno volcanoes. and Yachts. Night Puerto Varas

The Alerce Andino National Park, created in November 1982, is located 40 km east of Puerto Montt along the Carretera Austral. It is part of the “Temperate Rainforests of the Southern Andes Biosphere Reserve”. Composed of more than 20,000 hectares of ancient Alerces forests. This park is the perfect place to visit the forest more easily, but it is generally difficult to access, creating mountainous and inaccessible areas in both the Coastal Range and the Andes Mountains. The Larch (Fitzroya cupressoides) is the longest tree in the Southern Hemisphere, it has landed trees that are more than 5,500 years old and can reach 50 m in height. It is a conifer native to the temperate forests of South America, especially the forests of southern Chile, and is in danger of extinction.

We will have two options that day: - We will be able to hike for 4 hours through the southern jungle forest until we reach the Millennial Larch, which is one of the oldest specimens in Chile, or to the Chaiquenes lagoon where we can rest before beginning our descent. On the way back we will visit the Manuel Montt viewpoint in Puerto Montt, to have a short talk about geography, demography and history of the area. - For those who can walk a little more, we can have a longer walk of 6 hours, following the Chaicas river, through the dense forest of southern Chile until we reach the wonderful Triangulo lagoon. As the name indicates, this lagoon is in the shape of a triangle, embedded between the rocky walls of the hills, which is reflected in the crystalline waters of the lagoon, simply beautiful. Night Puerto Varas

We will start our day on the island of Chiloé. Chiloé is an island full of charm and mystery, discovered in 1553 by Francisco de Ulloa, then colonized by Martín Ruiz de Gamboa in 1567. With a history full of difficulties, between the trafficking of indigenous people for mining in central Chile, then the activity export wood to Peru, the island's history will not cease to fascinate you, a separate culture full of religious syncretism. We will arrive at the town of Ancud and its fort, and we will visit the regional museum of Ancud. Founded in 1976, the museum has a collection of more than 4,500 pieces, spread over 3 floors, and covers around 6,000 years of the region's history.

After our story page, we'll resume our journey west to meet the penguins. A magnificent road takes us to Puñihuil, a small bay from where the boats depart that take us to the islets where the penguins usually rest and sunbathe. In 1999 the islets of Puñihuil were declared a National Monument for being one of the places where you can observe Humboldt and Magellan penguins, along with many other birds in the area. There are few places to watch penguins and Puñihuil is one of them. After discovering this sector, you will be able to enjoy lunch in the local kitchens that will offer you typical dishes of the area. Night in Castro.

We begin our day leaving our hotel in Castro, heading to the town of Curaco de Vélez, a mainly peasant, fishing and agricultural town. On the one hand, the fishing activity that provides fish, shellfish and algae, and on the other hand, the activity of breeding and growing vegetables, potatoes and fodder. The municipality of Curaco de Vélez has inherited a great cultural and natural wealth. Occupied thousands of years ago by the native peoples, followed by the colony, in a landscape where geology has shown its great beauty.

Then we will go to the city of Achao, built on a flat terrain surrounded by hills and facing a shallow sandy beach. In the surrounding hills there are several viewpoints, such as the Alto de la Paloma, to be able to admire the general view and the great beauty of the sector. The architecture of Achao is distinguished by the larch tiles that cover the houses. In front of the town square is the Church of Santa María de Loreto de Achao, it is the first of the churches built in Chiloé, the oldest in Chile built in wood and, together with that of Quinchao, it is the only one that remains of those built by the Jesuits during the colonial era. Today it is one of the 16 temples that UNESCO has named a World Heritage Site.

We will return to the town of Dalcahue with its famous craft and gastronomic fair. We will have lunch with local dishes such as curanto, hake or salmon, which reflect the culinary traditions of Chiloé. The cooks are in a market built on stilts in the shape of a boat. Once inside, the windows and more than twenty kitchens follow the aesthetics of a ship, making it feel like having lunch on board a ship.

After a delicious lunch, we will take time to visit the beautiful town of Dalcahue. Once on the waterfront, you can buy typical Chilota handicrafts. The craft fair is a good option to learn how Chiloé artisans make wicker baskets, replicas of churches and tiled houses, as well as wood-carved kitchen utensils. While you walk through the artisan stalls that are also located on the esplanade, Chilota music is heard from inside the artisan fair and invites you to meet more locals. We will also visit the Plaza de Armas, its church built in 1849, declared a World Heritage Site.

Then we will resume our long journey back to Puerto Varas, but not before stopping at the beautiful Tocoihue Falls, about 30 minutes northwest of Dalcahue. The Tocoihue waterfall is not free of legends, like many places in Chiloé, one of which says that those who wanted to become witches had to bathe under this waterfall for 12 hours in order to escape Catholic baptism. This waterfall is formed in a rocky bed of the Tocoihue River, before reaching the sea and is 60 meters high, which makes it quite an impressive waterfall. Night Puerto Varas