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Introducing Valdivia
Valdivia is the most attractive city in La AraucanÃa and the Lakes District, although its competition is pretty dismal. This university town, with touches of German influence, loads of mist and its fair share of rain, is supremely relaxed and pleasant. The most striking characteristic of Valdivia is its superb location surrounded by the Calle Calle, Cau Cau and Cruces rivers. Make sure to visit the Feria Fluvial waterfront where sea lions have discovered the promised land - a place where they can float around all day and let tourists and fishmongers throw them scraps from the daily catch.
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The university adds a lot to Valdivia in terms of a strong emphasis on the arts, student prices at many hostels, restaurants and bars, and a dose of youthful energy that would brighten any foggy riverside town. For those who have spent a fair amount of time in the region's other provincial towns, outdoor sports centers or workaday urban areas, Valdivia can be a welcome oasis of relatively cosmopolitan life. It is also a welcome oasis of good beer in a continent of cheap, watery suds. If nothing else, Valdivia's German legacy left behind the Kunstmann brewery in Niebla.
Last updated: Sep 29, 2008
