Where We Be
Puerto Montt, Chile
The highlight of the day was this view of snow-capped Osorno Volcano when the clouds parted long enough for us to see its summit
View of Puerto Montt from an inland hilltop overlook
Even the pillars are constructed of redwood
On the main plaza in front of the redwood cathedral in Puerto Montt
This chute of whitewater was the most dramatic falls view
Mom poses with a llama on the way to Petrohue Falls
Posing with our personable guide Tonia at Petrohue Falls
The crowds at Petrohue were more immense than the falls!
The falls at Petrohue were pretty but hardly measured up to the hype and the crowds (see below)
During our time in port, we took a five-hour
guided tour with our personable tour guide Tonia.
First stop was the Plaza de Armas in Puerto Montt
for a view of the cathedral constructed completely
of redwood, then we drove to an overlook of the
city.

Next came a long drive through the scenic Chilean
Lake District past the towns of Puerto Varas and
Ensenada on the way to Petrohue Falls. This place
was packed with people to the point it was funny
in a painful sort of way. Wall-to-wall tourists, and
all for some falls that simply didn't measure up to
all the hype. What did merit attention was the
dramatic view of Osorno Volcano.

We returned to Puerto Varas and had 45 minutes
of free time to see the town. We liked the feel of
the town straight off, which had a pleasant central
plaza, neat German architecture, and rose bushes
at every corner. It is situated on Lake Llanquihue
(it sounds like “Yankee Way”), the second biggest
lake in Chile and third biggest in South America.

(Note: Robin and I visited Puerto Montt a second
time on April 10, right before our Navimag ferry
cruise. Some photos are from that second visit.)
Puerto Montt as seen from the tenth floor of the Holiday Inn cafeteria (during our wait for the Navimag Ferry)
Unusual Christmas tree centerpiece in a coastal park
The fish market in the San Angelmo district at the edge of town is filled with locals
Picturesque view from our dining spot in San Angelmo
Fishermen bring in the catch at the harbor in San Angelmo -- our favorite part of Puerto Montt
Overview of the San Angelmo fish market
"Mariscos" (seafood) is everywhere to be had in Puerto Montt
Snow-capped Osorno Volcano with Petrohue Falls in the foreground