Our ship tendered just off the coast of Chile at Puerto Montt. We arranged to join a local guide for a tour of the city and surrounding area. If we had not arranged this local tour in advance, there were locals selling tours in town. This is one of the advertisements we saw.
First we briefly toured the city by foot –
stopping to view the monuments, the vegetation, and a local church.
Then we boarded a large van and headed to the tallest point in the city for a scenic overlook.
Along the way to the countryside, we stopped along the road at a business thriving on tourism. They offered refreshments, postal service, restrooms, and llamas for a photo op.
This stop was at a perfect photo spot for viewing the Osorno Volcano. My husband captured this lovely photo of the volcano. The clouds dissipated as the day progressed.
We drove to Vicente Peres Rosales National Park.
and hiked to the beautiful Petrohue Falls. (Pronounced: Pet-ro-whey)
I dipped my fingers into the cold Lake Llanquihue.
After this, we stopped for empanadas at a local restaurant.
Before the tour, I had read that dollars were generally accepted by the locals, but they needed to be new, crisp bills. At this restaurant, the owner inspected each bill very carefully looking for the tiniest of tears along the edges. She rejected some of the money others tried to pay. I was glad I had new, small bills. I even traded a few ones to one of our tour mates so she could successfully pay for lunch.
On our way back to the ship, we drove through Puertovaras, a local vacation destination.
If I ever get to go back to Puerto Montt…
I would like to see the German town of Frutillar and spend some time in Puertovaras, but I would have hated to miss anything we saw today. A person just can’t see it all in one day in port.
Next: Scenic Cruising in Chile – Glaciers!