Why Honeymoon in Puerto Varas
The Lake District offers a softer kind of beauty than the far south. Instead of granite towers and fierce wind, you get calm blue lakes, rivers the color of jade and volcanoes rising above temperate rainforest. The weather in summer is pleasant, the roads are good and the towns are welcoming.
Puerto Varas itself is one of the most charming small towns in Chile. You can stroll the lakefront at sunset, browse craft shops and eat very well, all without needing a car. Then you can drive half an hour and stand beside a thundering waterfall in a national park.
It is also flexible. Active couples can hike, kayak, raft and bike. Others can soak in hot springs, take boat trips and linger over long lunches. It suits honeymooners who want variety without long transfers between bases.
When to Go
The best season is December through March, the southern summer. Days are long and mild, usually in the 60s and 70s. The volcano is more often clear of cloud. January and February are the busiest months, when Chilean families take their holidays.
Late January and early February also bring the Semanas Musicales, a classical music festival in nearby Frutillar, with concerts in the lakeside Teatro del Lago.
October, November and April are shoulder months with fewer visitors and spring flowers or fall colors. The weather is more changeable, so expect some rain.
The Lake District is one of the wettest parts of Chile in winter, from May to September. Many days are gray and the volcanoes hide behind cloud. Osorno's ski area operates in winter, but for a honeymoon the summer months are far more rewarding.
Where to Stay
Puerto Varas has a good range of hotels along the lakefront and in the hills above town. Hotel Cumbres Puerto Varas sits right on the lakeshore with big windows facing the volcano, an indoor pool and a spa. AWA Hotel, a short drive outside town, is a contemporary design hotel on the lake with modern rooms, a restaurant and views across the water.
Many couples prefer smaller lodges and cabins around the lake or along the road toward Ensenada, closer to the national park. These offer privacy, wood stoves and lake views, though you will need a car.
For a night or two in deeper nature, look at lodges near Petrohué on the shore of Lake Todos los Santos, where evenings are quiet and the forest comes right up to the door.
Ask for a room facing the lake and the volcano. Waking to Osorno at dawn is the point of staying here.
Romantic Things to Do
Drive to Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, Chile's oldest, created in 1926. The Saltos del Petrohué are rapids where turquoise water pours over black volcanic rock with Osorno behind.
Take a boat across Lake Todos los Santos, an emerald lake surrounded by forested mountains. The full Cruce Andino crossing continues by bus and boat over the Andes to Bariloche in Argentina, a scenic all-day journey that many couples use to link the two countries.
Visit Frutillar, a lakeside town with German architecture and the striking Teatro del Lago concert hall, where an evening concert makes a lovely date.
Drive up Osorno Volcano for views over the lakes or ride a chairlift in summer. For something more remote, the Cochamó Valley offers granite walls and rivers, often compared to Yosemite, with horseback rides and hikes.
Getting There and Around
Fly from Santiago to Puerto Montt, about an hour and three quarters on LATAM, Sky or JetSMART. Puerto Varas is about 25 minutes from the airport.
A rental car is the best way to explore. Roads around the lake are paved and well signed. Many of the best sights are spread out. Allow about an hour from Puerto Varas to Petrohué and around 45 minutes to Frutillar.
To visit Chiloé, drive south to Pargua and take the short car ferry across the Chacao Channel. Ancud is about two hours from Puerto Varas and Castro is closer to three, so Chiloé is better as an overnight than a rushed day.
If you continue to Argentina, the Cruce Andino lake crossing to Bariloche takes a full day and should be booked ahead. Flights between Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas make it easy to add Patagonia.
Food and Drink
German influence shows up in the bakeries. Kuchen, fruit-topped cakes made with raspberries, murta berries or apples, are an afternoon ritual with coffee. Puerto Varas also has a growing craft beer scene and many restaurants serving modern Chilean food.
Seafood from the southern fjords is excellent. Try salmon, hake, mussels and clams, often in a paila marina, a rich seafood soup. Puerto Montt's Angelmó market, near the harbor, is a lively place to eat fresh seafood at simple counters.
On Chiloé, look for curanto, a feast of shellfish, meat, potatoes and dumplings cooked over hot stones in a pit or in a large pot. The island also grows hundreds of native potato varieties.
Wine lists lean on central Chile, so order a cool-climate Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc with your seafood.
Honeymoon Tips
Pack rain gear even in summer. The Lake District is green for a reason. A sunny morning can turn into a showery afternoon.
Plan around the volcano. Osorno is often clear in the early morning, so check the sky at dawn and schedule viewpoint drives for clear days, saving museums and cafés for cloudy ones.
Book the Cruce Andino early if you plan to cross into Argentina. It is popular in summer and connects with hotels in Bariloche.
If you visit Chiloé, stay at least one night. The churches, stilt houses and penguin colony near Ancud deserve more than a quick loop.
The State Department advisory mentions unrest in the neighboring Araucanía region to the north. Puerto Varas and the Los Lagos region are outside that area, but check current conditions before driving north toward Pucón.
