Friday, December 6, 2019, Puerto Montt, Chile
PUERTO MONTT, CHILE
Puerto Montt is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region, 655 miles to the south of the capital, Santiago. The commune spans an area of 646 square miles and has a population of 245,902 in 2017. It is bounded by the communes of Puerto Varas to the north, Cochamó to the east and southeast, Calbuco to the southwest and Maullín and Los Muermos to the west.
Founded as late as 1853 during the German colonization of southern Chile, Puerto Montt soon outgrew older neighboring cities due to its strategic position at the southern end of the Chilean Central Valley being a gateway city into Chiloé Archipelago, Llanquihue and Nahuel Huapi lakes and Western Patagonia.
Puerto Montt has gained renown and grown significantly due to the rise of Chile as the second largest salmon producer of the world during the 1990s and 2000s. However, the Chilean salmon aquaculture crisis of the late 2000s resulted at least temporarily in severe unemployment and exposed weaknesses in the local economy. The city's cultural heritage mixes elements of Chiloé culture with German heritage although the city has attracted a significant number of newcomers from all over Chile in the last 30 years due to employment opportunities.
With its ideal location on the western coast of Southern
Chile, Puerto Montt is considered the capital of the nation’s Northern
Patagonia province, economically if not politically. By 1912, a train linked Puerto
Montt to Santiago, opening up trade and transport with larger cities and
bolstering the economy. Beyond this
cultural center, Chili’s second largest lake, Llanquihue Lake, is watched over
by the snowcapped volcanoes Osorno and Calbuco, creating one of Patagonia’s
most picturesque vistas. On the lake’s
shores, the German flavored villages of Puerto Varas and Frutillar boast
endless delights, magnificent gardens, and charming architecture from Old
Europe.
Osorno Volcano, Petrohué Falls,
& Puerto Varas
We marveled at the glittering Petrohué Falls,
climbed Osorno volcano, and relax by the shimmering Llanquihue Lake. We admired the magnificent view of the
snowcapped Osorno volcano, as we headed out toward the glittering waterfalls of
Petrohué. These falls were formed by the Petrohué River cascading through the
area’s centuries-old, volcanic rock. We continued our ride up to the majestic
Osorno volcano, which reaches a stunning 8,700 feet above sea level. La Burbuja, or the Bubble, located on the
volcano’s slopes at almost 4,000 feet, was our drop-off point. The area is a common starting point for skiers
and climbers seeking adventure. We enjoyed
time to walk around, admiring the panoramic views over the impressive Petrohué
River valley. Afterward, our descent took
us into the city of Puerto Varas, located on the shimmering shores of Lake
Llanquihue. Here, we enjoyed a delicious
lunch, after which we had time to browse the city’s handicraft market.
We arrived today at 6 AM in the bay of Puerto Montt; we were supposed to be on an eight hour excursion to an inactive volcano, a waterfall, and a historic city:
Saltos del Petrohué with Osorno volcano in the background.
However, because there are no docks nor piers, we were to use tender boats to go ashore. But the swells are running so high it we be too unsafe to transfer from our cruise ship to tenders then onto the very small floating dock.
So the captain called off our port call today.
We are now slowly heading north to our next destination, Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile (the capital).
This is the 6th port call called off due to weather conditions, a little disappointing! However, we can understand the safety priority must be #1.
That would be disappointing!
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