Day 34: Puerto Montt - In the south of the Panamerica

At the southern end of the developed part of the Panamerica is the port city of Puerto Montt, about 1,100 kilometers away from the capital Santiago de Chile. The city, with a population of 238,000, is the administrative center of the Los Lagos region and the Llanquihue Province. The surroundings of Puerto Montt are particularly worth seeing, including the Llanquihue Lake north of the city and the Calbuco Volcano, located 30 kilometers away and standing at a height of 2,003 meters.

The former settlement of Melipulli, which means "the four hills" in the language of the indigenous people, was declared a city in 1861 and renamed Puerto Montt in honor of the then-serving President Manuel Montt Torres. At that time, the city had many European residents, including Germans, Swiss, and Austrians. The European influence still characterizes the culture and architecture of a large area in southern Chile. Due to the many German descendants, German dishes such as Black Forest cake and even Christmas stollen are well known.

We are at anchor and will be taken ashore with our tender boats. Two seals play for hours right next to the ship.

The plan was to take a day trip to the Petrohue Waterfalls and the Osorno Volcano with stops at Llanquihue Lake, the Green Lagoon, Todos los Santos Lake, the Petrohue Rapids, and lunch at a restaurant on the shores of Llanquihue Lake, as well as in Puerto Varas and the Angelmo Fish Market.

Unfortunately, we have been slowed down by the Corona. We still have to spend a few more days in the cabin.