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The Lakes District – named "Los Lagos" for its myriad glacial lakes that dot a countryside otherwise characterized by looming, snowcapped volcanoes, otherworldly national parks and serene lakeside villages – is one of Chile's most picturesque regions. Outdoor adventurers congregate around pretty Puerto Varas, the region's most touristy town and the jumping-off point for most of the area's attractions, be it horseback riding or rock climbing in the Río Cochamó Valley, lake lingering around Lagos Llanquihue, Puyehue or Todos los Santos, or flashpacking through any number of impressive national parks.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout The Lakes District.
Arts Center
This amazing 12-years-in-the-making, US$25-million world-class performing-arts center opened in 2010, and has single-handedly put Frutillar on the global cultural map. The striking copper-roofed structure is a thing of beauty in itself, flanked against the lake with postcard views of four volcanoes. Daily 45-minute tours start at noon throughout the year (CH$4500).
Nature Preserve
Territorio Mapa Lahual protects some 60,000 hectares of mature forest and indigenous territories south of San Juan de la Costa and into Río Negro province. It began after a decade of sustainable tourism research by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which prompted these off-the-beaten-path communities to welcome etnoturismo as a way to earn a proud living. You'll find postcard-perfect bays and beaches along the coast as well as Valdivian forest treks and rural Huilliche homestays inland.
National Park
Parque Nacional Puyehue protects 1070 sq km of stark landscape defined by sand dunes and lava rivers, the result of Volcán Puyehue's 1960 eruption that turned a dense, humid evergreen forest into an otherworldly contrasting environment forge by Mother Nature's might. There are also several hikes that explore more pristine areas of the national park. Aguas Calientes is the main sector of the park, with a hot-springs resort and Conaf’s Centro de Información Ambiental.
Nature Reserve
Carved out of virgin Valdivian rainforest 15km east of Puelo, Parque Tagua-Tagua is southern Chile's latest park. A private initiative funded by Universidad Mayor in Santiago and managed by Mítico Puelo Lodge and Miralejos Chile Adventure, the park preserves 3000 hectares of previously unseen alerce forest along with two lakes, Lago Alerce and Lago Quetrus, bounded by granite mountains. Trekking and climbing are big draws here, as is bird-watching and the chance of spotting pudú (small deer), puma and condors.
Waterfall
Six kilometers southwest of Petrohué, the Saltos del Petrohué is a rushing, frothing waterfall raging through a narrow volcanic rock canyon carved by lava. Anyone wondering why the rafting trips don’t start from the lake will find the answer here, although experienced kayakers have been known to take it on. Parking is CH$1000.
Architecture
Many notable constructions in town are private houses from the early 20th century. Grab a city map at the tourist office to follow the Paseo Patrimonial, a walking tour of historic homes listed as Monumentos Nacionales. Several of these houses serve as hospedajes, including the 1941–42 Casa Schwerter (Del Carmen 873), the 1930 Casa Hitschfeld (Prat 107) and the 1930 Casa Wetzel (O’Higgins 608).
Museum
The Museo Histórico Colonial Alemán was built with assistance from Germany and is managed by the Universidad Austral. It features nearly perfect reconstructions of a water-powered mill, a blacksmith's house and a farmhouse and belfry set among manicured gardens. It is considered the best museum on German colonialism in the region.
Museum
A small but well-done museum inside the historic 1920 Casa Niklitschek telling the story of Puerto Octay via antiques.
Archaeological Site
A small child's footprint discovered in a marshy field 28km west of Puerto Montt turned the archaeological world on its head in 1975 – evidence of human settlement in the Americas suddenly predated the long-accepted Clovis paradigm by roughly 1000 years. Located on the banks of Chinchihuapi Creek, the site is now believed to date back some 18,500 years into the coldest moment of the Ice Age.