Puerto Montt; credit: Rodolfo Ditzel Lacoa

Do you wish to explore the beautiful city of Peurto Montt and its picturesque surroundings? Whether it may be the stunningly green forests with indigenous wildlife, local landmarks or famous architecture, the unquestioned, best way to go about it is by private tours.

Below are five of the best tours/excursion options to choose for Puerto Montt. 

1. Puerto Montt, Puerto Varas and Frutillar

This tour is offered by South Excursions and takes guests from the port to the city center of Puerto Montt with its picturesque fishing wharf and seafood market. Here, you will get the chance to spend some time in the town or even visit the square and the cathedral before continuing on.

The next stop is Puerto Varas, the “City of Roses”, known for its alpine and traditional German-style architecture. This one is for the history and architecture enthusiasts.

Next, the excursion continues onto Frutillar, one of Chile’s most captivating and popular summer resorts.  Located by the Llandquihue Lake, visitors can relax here while admiring the wonder of the snowcapped Osorno volcano. Photographers will especially like this.

The final segment of the excursion includes a short drive through the old district and the coastal avenue where you’ll see exquisite European architecture, pleasant gardens, tasty pasties, and a museum with 19 century artifacts. The trip often takes about 7-8 hours.

2. Over the Pacific

Over the Pacific is an experience of a lifetime. The excitement and the exhilarating thrill of flying is enough to get the adrenaline junkies overly anxious! In fact, even if you do not like flying or great altitudes, if this experience cannot muster a friendship between you and heights,  more than likely, no other will.

The trip is offered by the Patagonia and as its name suggests will take you high above the rocky, violent, deep blue seas of the Pacific Ocean.  With mysterious islands such as Easter Island and even some un-spoilt islands still to be discovered, you will be lucky to locate solitary groups of sea lions, whales and giant birds.

FYI, you can also choose to fly over the mountains, plains or the volcano as well.

3. Puerto Montt and Petrohue Falls

This tour is also offered by South excursions and allows travellers to enjoy a trip all the way form the ship (point of entry) to the city center of Puerto Montt. Here, you will find a picturesque fishing wharf and seafood market.

Most tourists like to visit the main square of Puerto Varas, known for its alpine and traditional German-style architecture. Beyond that, a lakeside drive leads you to the impressive Petrohue River Falls, a gleaming succession of azure blue rapids towering down gently against a back drop of calm, blue mountains in the distance. Moreover, a breathtaking view of the Volcan Osorno can be admired form here as well.

To complete the journey, the tour often stops at one of the restaurant in Ensenada that caters to visitors and provides local delicacies and specialties.

4. Tour of the Patagonia

Whether in Argentina or in Chile, the Patagonian landscape seems to compete in regards to beauty. Fortunately, there are tours that cross the border. This will imbue within you an appreciation of the contrasts between the lush Valdivian rainforest and the vast lands of the pampas or.

Moreover, travellers will experience the southern Chilean national parks such as the Queulat and Torres del Paine as well as Argentinian protected areas such as Perito Moreno and Los Glaciares.

For the adventurous, there is an option to travel through these places as a 14-day expedition on comfortable, fully-equipped 4WD vehicles. The departure point is the Puerto Montt, heading towards the Chiloé Island. On the journey, you will make frequent stops at villages that show the richness of their history and culture and even allow you to share in some of their customs.

5. Crossing onto Tenglo Island

The Tenglo Island in Chile is a small island found just opposite the port. The island is extremely popular for travelers who know of it. Not only is it beautiful, but it is also ideal to go hiking or sunbathing before returning to the city. Numerous Operators offer the chance to cross onto Tenglo Islands.

For the most part, the journeys and the experience is the same, as such, any reputable operator offering this service should be fine. In fact, most crossing are carried out by boatmen who offer their services at a small berth located at the access to the market of Angelmó. As such, most operators will only take you to the site itself. The crossing lasts for about 10 minutes.

Chile is a vast and beautiful country with great attractions and amazing people. Experience the amazing wonders of Chile’s hidden treasures with a tour catered to you. All that’s needed to do is contact your travel agent to make the necessary arrangements.