The Splendour of the Chilean Lake District
England, New Zealand and Italy are justifiably proud of their lake districts but Chile's version is hard to beat. It's a hypnotic fusion of cerulean waters and ice-capped volcanoes, pretty waterfalls, hot springs and ancient forests. Whether you're an adrenaline junkie rafting down a river or simply lingering on a black sand beach, it's an amazing place! Part of the luster wears off during the summer when the towns are too congested. By design we arrived when things were less frenetic.
The city of Puerto Varas is nestled on Lake Llanquihue, the third largest body of water in South America. Osorno Volcano has historically been one of the most active craters in southern Chile. Its symmetrical appearance is often compared to Mt. Fuji. The lake supports a prodigious salmon industry that accounts for the majority of the country's aquacultural. It's sustainably managed too: fry are released directly into the water so there are no industrialized offshore fish farms.
German immigration has had a profound influence on the culture, cuisine and architecture of the region. People fled Europe during the 1848 revolution and prior to World War I. What a wise decision for those who had the courage and means to move! Many of the early homes are officially recognized but not well-preserved. The truest examples have an exterior of larch tiles that absorb water in the winter (expand) and shed water in the summer (contract) to regulate air flow and temperature. The Church of the Sacred Heart was built entirely of wood, 1915-1918. It's modeled after the Marienkirche in the Black Forest.
Puerto Varas is known as the City of Roses and is considered to be one of the best places to live in Chile. The neighbourhoods are brimming with delicate fuchsia and waves of hydrangea hedges that line the paths and roadways.
On the waterfront there's an artistic interpretation of the Mapuche legend of Princess Licarayen. She fell in love and was to marry Quitralpi. The god of Osborne volcano was jealous and began to erupt violently. To appease him, the most beautiful woman had to be sacrificed. Licarayen's heart was cut out by Quitralpi then dropped in the volcano by a condor. Quitralpi killed himself so that his spirit could unite with Licarayen. Snow fell as the pure soul of the virgin returned to Earth, some of it melting as it cooled the angry god. Water flowed down the mountain forming the streams and the people then lived happily.
The Pablo Fierro Museum also has a commanding view of the lake. Its whimsical exterior design was created by an artist who bought a derelict pump house from the city and turned it into an eclectic collection of items ranging from old ice boxes to rusty insecticide sprayers. It's also a place where Pablo creates and sells his art using some of the relics as framing.
There are fantastic opportunities for kayaking around Puerto Varas. Most of them are multi-day trips, beyond our available time and current upper body fitness level. It would have been great to participate in the three day excursion to Pumalin Park, one of the major parcels of land donated by Douglas Tompkins, the deceased founder of North Face outdoor equipment. Instead we settled for a half day outing on Lago Chapo and its connecting lagoons. It felt great just to be on the water again!
Vincente Perez Rosales National Park lies a short distance away. The water that churns its way through the lava formations at Petrohue Falls was impressive even in the morning shade of late summer. The crystal clear waters of Lake Todos Los Santos provide awesome views of three volcanoes, including Mt. Tronador in Argentina. The lake is part of the Andean Lakes Crossing which is the most scenic way to connect between the two countries. Travelers are relayed through a series of stunning waterways and mountain passes. The Mapuche managed to keep it a secret from the Spanish for 100 years! 
The route ends in Bariloche. Having been there already we only went as far as the settlement of Peulla. We stopped for lunch and explored the gardens which are dominated by the gigantic gunnera plants that are called Poor Man's Umbrella at home.
Frutillar is near Puerto Varas and has similar features but on a smaller scale. The lower town overflows with historic German houses and fabulous gardens. It's the most beautiful residential area I've ever seen! As in Puerto Varas, some of the homes are national monuments. They're better maintained here but the renovations also mean they don't seem quite as authentic.
The German Colonial Museum in Frutillar tries to capture the essence of the early pioneers. We absolutely loved the time we spent exploring the grounds, model home, antiques, watermill, blacksmith's house, paintings and old photos.
The waterfront at Frutillar also offers lots of great features. There's a long pier and other ideal spots for gazing at Osorno Volcano. The arts are a high priority too. How does a $28 million world class concert hall sound? Equally important to me was the creativity expressed in a really good piece of German kuchen.
 |
 |
The busiest spot in the Lake District is Pucon. It's in a fabulous location near the base of Villarica, one of Chile's most active volcanoes. It's also largely surrounded by water. The harbour, beach, Plaza de Armas with its Mapuche statues, artwork and sunsets made for a memorable and relaxing stay.
Within a short drive of Pucon there are also numerous waterfalls. We explored the Tres Saltos circuit. Each of the three falls were different and very pretty, the most dramatic being El Leon (The Lion). Having a vehicle for three days enabled us to tour about the countryside enjoying rural scenery and visiting some of the parks.
Most people join a trekking tour up the volcano and visit one of the many different hot springs in the area. We preferred to spend more time in the forest studying the monkey puzzle (araucaria) trees. We have some in Canada but I have viewed them as odd and out of place. In their native habitat they look natural growing en masse. They're Chile's national tree!
The more we learned about the araucaria trees the more we admired them. Because of their longevity they are considered to be a living fossil. These two specimens in Villarica National Park are both over 1000 years-old!
The trees develop an outer layer of cork for protection. This takes time to produce and comes in a variety of appearances as it matures. Monkey puzzle trees also produce a seed that tastes a lot like a chestnut. They were just ripening during our visit and we saw many people collecting them in the forest. They fetch a good price in the local markets!
We met a Irish political scientist involved in the ongoing legal proceedings from the Pinochet era, a human rights activist who lived as a political refugee in Italy during that time and two Dutch environmental engineering students completing doctorate degrees. The owner, Patricio, worked as a cinematographer, economist, and environmentalist. He's now writing a cookbook featuring recipes that combine Spanish and Mapuche cuisine. We really enjoyed two evenings of stimulating conversation!
Few people stay so close to the park and the first bus from Pucon doesn't arrive until 10:30 AM. This allowed us to have the park pretty much to ourselves to explore during the morning. The most frequented route is the Los Lagos trail which winds upward past the Nido de Aguila (Eagle's Nest) waterfall to a series of clear blue lakes lined with araucaria trees.
As always, we were delighted by the new species of flora and fauna that we encountered along the way. The holly-like leaves and lovely flowers of the taique plant generously decorate much of the forest. A cute little bird called the chestnut-throated huet huet calls its own name. The trill of the chucao warmed our hearts as it hopped around each morning. One afternoon I was very fortunate to spot a cluster of wren-like rushbirds. Patricio has been living beside the park for thirty years and never seen one. At first I thought it was a variety of sapsucker but the hammering sound is just the vocalization it makes.
The most challenging day hike at Huerquehue is the long and often slippery climb to the San Sebastian viewpoint. The area gets a lot of rain and is notoriously muddy. Our reward was a panoramic view of several lakes and volcanoes.
We were sorry to be leaving such an exceptional spot and can only hope that we'll be back again some day. We said our goodbyes and headed back to Pucon to board an overnight bus heading north. Our time in South America is drawing to a close. There's just one more important location to visit before we head for home!
Comments
Post a Comment