Rolling Stone : Puerto Varas, Chile .... a great place to chill out in

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Puerto Varas, Chile .... a great place to chill out in

Puerto Varas is a popular tourist town in the Chilean Lake District. Situated on the shores of Lago Llanquihue (= yankeeway) it is very pretty and small enough to walk around from your hotel or hospedaje. You can hike up the hill of Cerro Calvario beyond the railway line to admire the fantastic view of the lake and distant volcanoes of Osorno and Calbuco covered in snow.

The Plaza de Armas is close to the foreshore where you can stroll in the mornings or evenings and watch how the local lads catch a trout (1 to 2 lb) with a spoon lure from the end of the muelle (stone jetty). Nearby is the Casino and a small craft market, and a tour agency that will arrange for you a "Southern Lakes Crossing" to Bariloche in the Argentine Lake District.

Many of the hotels and hospedajes are on the flat near the Plaza de Armas and the Avenida Costanera which follows the lake foreshore. It is very pleasant taking the evening stroll and watching the activity and then maybe check out the Casino for a drink.

Artisans display their jewellery on a blanket and hope for a sale. The national gemstone of Chile is lapis lazuli of which there is some production from a site in the Andes north of Santiago. The blue of lapis lazuli blends in well with silver as rings and pendants.

A fun day may be had by taking the minibus to nearby Puerto Montt and perusing the wonderful craft market stalls along the road to Angelmo, the fishing port. It is easy here to spend a lost afternoon by having lunch at one of many dinky seafood restaurants. You will arrive back in Puerto Varas well fed and happy with your day's outing.

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Accommodation in Managua and Granada

Accommodation in Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas is a tourist town with a wide spectrum of accommodation, ranging from five star hotels (5), to large backpackers (2) to numerous small family guest houses, or hospedajes. Hostels can be found from the website Hostel World and provide private rooms for US $20 to $45. Large backpackers, Casa Azul and Compass del Sur are listed with Backpackers Chileand offer economical accommodation ranging from $10 to $20 dorms to shared rooms with a buffet breakfast for $3.50. They are similar to a large South African backpackers and offer tours, excursions, Spanish classes, you name it and they'll provide it.

Most economical are the family guest houses or hospedajes costing $10 to $15 per person, and listed in guide books like Lonely Planet. A family may rent out to travelers a couple of rooms in a large family house. If you are lucky you may get to share their kitchen to cook meals and learn some Spanish for free at the same time. So you learn how a Chilean family operates. In Puerto Varas I have gone back and stayed at the same hospedaje three years in a row. (and with a different companera each time, which confused mama)

Cape Town for backpackers

Backpackers are very well accommodated in Cape Town. There are dozens of exciting backpackers to choose from. A little booklet called "Coast to Coast" lists them all, with details for booking. The same information is on the Internet for Southern Africa, just put in "Cape Town" for the region.

I shall not recommend any backpackers because that would be unfair and half the fun is finding a good one that suits you. Important factors in your choice are that the backpackers should have good Internet facilities, a good kitchen and dining area, a travel bureau office, a swimming pool, and be close to a popular restaurant, plus any more factors? Many backpackers have ALL these facilities and are converted mansions of old. Lucky you!