Our launching point to Carretera Austral was Puerto Montt, a charming yet bustling city with kind people and spectacular views of nearby volcanos. We used our time in Puerto Montt to stock up on food, pick-up our rental car, and connect with locals for tips and recommendations Carretera Austral, the southernmost highway. While most of our attention was directed to Carretera Austral, it was hard to pass on exploring the Lake District of Chile.
The area has tons of Germanic influences from the food to the architecture. Pair the European-style buildings, lakes and volcanoes, and the result are fairytale-like vistas. Nearby cities like Puerto Varas and Frutilla were equally beautiful with lots of savory foods and refreshing beer. We had good timing while visiting Puerto Varas because we ran into craft beer festival and sampled tons of varieties that paired pleasantly with Chilean empanadas. The desserts in the area were next level too especially the cakes. Deliciously layered with crispy merengue, berry jam, and fluffy frosting.
Being in the area reminded me of my once-upon-time dream of working at The Nature Conservancy’s Valdivian Reserve. Although we were hours away from the area, Paul encouraged us to visit it. It took us several hours but the beauty along the way was worth every minute. We drove through windy roads of dense forest, remote wetlands, and along coastal cliffs. Half way there we realized that the road we took was a poorly maintained loggers road and it was quite remote. At one point the road became very muddy and our car started sliding. It was rather scary, but thanks to Paul’s driving abilities, we completed the overpass to the small coastal town of Corral. We learned a ferry traveled frequently between Corral and Valdivia and it was the safer option for the way back. We did eventually make it to the coastal reserve and even though it had limited public access it was neat to visit the visitor center and chat with a TNC employee. While I no longer work for TNC there was still a level of camaraderie and pride of being at a TNC site. It was lovely fulfilling this dream by finally seeing the area.
After a few days in the Lake District we headed south for the first official day of Carretera Austral on Valentine’s Day— romantic I know. :D
