Puerto Montt

Introducing Puerto Montt

A region as beautiful and as neatly organized as the Lakes District must have an administrative and commercial capital. That honor is bestowed upon Puerto Montt. While generally out of synch with the rest of the Lakes District (not on a lake, not tranquil, not offering any outdoor activities and, according to everyone except for the Puerto Montt tourist bureau, not scenic) Puerto Montt does play an important role as a port, transportation hub and regional business center. It is growing exponentially and offers all of the goods and services that you may need as a traveler. That said, few people spend more than a day or two here in transit. Most visitors who want to stay in the general vicinity opt to sleep in nearby (and considerably more attractive) Puerto Varas. Puerto Montt does have a few charms including its quirky port area, Angelmó, which is full of tiny seafood restaurants and crafts shops.

For those who have arrived in Puerto Montt after longer periods in the staid Germanic towns of the Lakes District or the more remote stretches of Chiloé or Patagonia, the city can be a welcome change of pace. You can get back in touch with hectic Chilean city life (and car smoke), catch first-run international movies and stock up on food and supplies at massive discount grocery stores.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009