If the visitor decides to travel by sea, the volcanoes and snowed mountains of the continental area will keep you busy with the camera and astonished in front of such magnificence. The same will be experienced if heading towards the picturesque stilt houses (palafitos), those extraordinary houses supported by wooden posts buried in the ground by the sea.
Puerto Montt was founded on February 12, 1853 by Vicente Pérez Rosales, together with German immigrants, men and women who had the courage and tenacity to settle the seemingly inhospitable lands of the Chilean southern region.
Thanks to this drive, the city underwent a rapid growth. In 1912, with the implementation of the railroad, it became the nerve center for those who traveled to the island of Chiloé and Magallanes. Development arrived by means of rails and the whistle of the locomotives.
Over the years, the city kept evolving and becoming more and more prosperous, but the force of nature affected in 1960, when an earthquake destroyed the city almost completely. Then, the spirit of old settlers seemed to revive in order to be able to fulfill the endeavor of restoring it, turning it in 1979 into the capital city of Los Lagos region (X).
Today, the city counts on evoking streets, houses with European features, avenues that flirt with the sea, markets where fish and seafood are worshiped. This and much more shape the face of this unparallel southern city, mandatory stopover for the exciting adventures in the Patagonia.
Its recreational activities are mainly related to the navigation through Canal de Tenglo, encompassing the island bearing the same name, Isla Huar, Isla Maillén, Puerto Pesquero, Isla de Los Curas and Puerto Montt bay. Tradition mandates a visit to Angelmó, where people can enjoy typical dishes, like cancatos or curantos in the pot, as well as visiting different stalls that sell honey, cheese, butter, wild fruit syrup, seafood, dry and fresh fish, among other traditional products of the area.
A characteristic feature of the weather in Puerto Montt is its permanent precipitations. All months are affected by rains, but they become more intense during the months of June, July and August, being the average 1,200 to 3,000 mm per year. Besides, weather in this region of Chile has a relative humidity of 80% and low temperatures, with a minimum of 4ºC (July to September) and a maximum of 21ºC.
Active and flourishing, Puerto Chacabuco is the main terminal of ferries and arrival port for major vessels in the region. Most trips to Laguna San Rafael and other places within the area begin here, where nature offers rewarding thermal springs, generous forests, impressive glaciers and fjords, endless channels, superb lagoons and several islands full of marine life.
Besides being the starting point for the tours to the main natural attractions of the region, Puerto Chacabuco is the center of sea and port activities of Aysén, since it receives several major ships and ferries from offshore.
With a total surface area of 170 km2, this lagoon belongs to Laguna San Rafael National Park, declared Natural World Patrimony of the Biosphere by the UNESCO in 1979. The 1,742,000 hectare park encompasses the entirety of Northern Ice Fields (440,000 hectares), home of several snowfields, including San Quintín, San Valentín, Leones and San Rafael.
The latter, with a total length of 45 km and an advance front 3 to 4 km wide and 50 to 70 meter high. It flows into the lagoon bearing the same name, where a pier has been put into working order for minor vessels and which allows access to a trail through which the base of the snowfield and several intermediate lookups can be reached.
San Rafael glacier base melting causes the noisy detachment of huge ice blocks falling into the sea, which float over lagoon waters. Amid this scenery, tourists can get closer by means of motor boats and sail through the white mantle of floating ices to enjoy the traditional whiskey on the rocks with eternal ice. Weather is humid with intense rains in the coastal area, reaching 3,500 mm per year. Rain and snow can be expected in high areas, reaching 5,000 mm per year. Annual average temperature is 5ºC.
Laguna San Rafael National Park has an inexhaustible source of water for the numerous rivers, streams and estuaries having their origin within its limits. The initial source of all rivers formed inside the park is a snowfield and they usually have a lake or lagoon along its course. Its lands own the virtues of a native ecosystem that shelters a rich range of birds, both sea and land birds, like black browed albatross, huala duck, black necked swan, and cormorant, among many others. Visitors can also enjoy watching toninas, sea wolves, chungungos and sea lions.
This fabulous park is located on the highest summit of the Southern Andes, San Valentín Mount, which is 4,058 meters high and has attractive trekking trails and camping areas. Other popular activities are boat tours, climbing and flora and fauna watching.
Tourists may take a one-day trip or trek the full majestic Paine massif in six to ten days. Generally, these trails are suitable for all kinds of people wearing mountain clothing and gear. The park also counts on shelters where people can rest or spend the night. Among the activities that tourists can practice are fishing, trekking, climbing, rafting, boat riding, horse riding and mountain biking.
This small coastal village of the Wellington Island, located north of Punta Arenas, was established in 1930 by the Chilean Air Force as base for sea planes flying from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas.
Years later, this place was inhabited by the Kawésqar Indian people (Alacalufes), who were nomad sailors that traveled the islands between the Penas gulf and the Strait of Magellan.
Puerto Edén is located in the Última Esperanza province, XII Region, in a sheltered bay by the Messier Channel in the area of the Patagonian Channels. It has a population of approximately 286 inhabitants, whose main activities are traditional fishing (mainly mussel and king crab), handcrafts and tourism. Their culinary specialty is "smoked mussels".
This small port is the only populated village located within the lonely landscapes of the southernmost channels between the Penas gulf and the Strait of Magellan. The village is provisioned by vessels like Navimag that travel the Patagonian channels from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales and by ships of the Navy of Chile.
Kaweskar
The Kawésqar, Kawéskar or Alacalufe people is a village of nomad Indian people who traveled on board canoes across the channels, fjords and archipelagos located south of the Taitao peninsula up to the proximities of Cape Horn.
Their language is the Kawésqar, name after which they call themselves. In their language this word means "person" or "human being". Originally, the name alacalufe had a disparaging intention and they do not longer use it.
They were constantly sailing across the channels and fjords, that could not be inhabited due to its abundant vegetation. The archaeological sites that have been found evidence the voyages they made to this places until 6,000 years B.C.
These skilled hunters and fishermen fed with nutrias, southern Andean deer, shellfish, fish, birds, plants, seeds and seals. They also used the skin of such animals to get dressed and their bones to manufacture several tools, like harpoons and knives.
They wore loincloth and a leather cape. Only when someone died, they painted their faces black in mourning. During the short periods of time they spent on land, they built small huts in beehive shape.
By stopping at the Southern Ice Fields, the tourist is able to enjoy one of the most majestic and overwhelming landscapes of the Chilean Patagonia: Pio XI and Amalia glaciers. From November 1st to March 30th, Navimag is offering tourists the possibility of visiting these ice cathedrals, on its trips from north to south (Pío XI glacier) and from south to north (Amalia glacier), sailing across different sized and shaped icebergs, which colorful blue, light blue and white ices amaze visitors.
Pío XI glacier is located on the northern area of Southern Ice Fields, at the end of Eyre inlet. It's the largest glacier in the southern hemisphere with a surface area of 1,242 kms, making it a true ice giant. It is approximately 6 km wide and its ice towers reach higher than 75 meters. Its length from its origin in the Ice Fields is 60 kilometers, which makes it the largest glacier of the whole southern hemisphere.
This huge moving snow giant has several fronts: one to the sea, another to the north, the longest one, and several smaller branches. The glacier stands out for its color changes, bluish and whites, which can be seen when the ice mass breaks every 5 to 10 minutes, followed by huge waves. The feature that makes it different from other glaciers is that it keeps on moving forward, i.e., it is estimated to experience an increase in its length, height and density, which differ from most glaciers that are moving backwards. It is estimated that the glacier has increased over 10 kilometers over the last 50 years.
The majestic and beautiful Amalia glacier is located north of the central area of Southern Ice Fields. Its long silhouette seems to be hanging between the peaks of the mountains, being a real spectacle for visitors. Its ice towers and its colorful contrast with its surroundings touch anybody seeing it.
This glacier is approximately 1 km wide and 40 m high, its ice mass is mainly supplied by intense snowstorms throughout the entire year. It's one of the forty-eight glaciers that make up this Ice field, which is considered to be the third largest fresh water reserve in the world.
The visit to these ice monuments becomes one of the most exciting adventures that tourists are probably be able to enjoy throughout their entire lives. It's true that there silence means beauty, but is also true that the noise of the ice blocks falling into the sea tingles the senses. It's all about visiting the wildest and most inhospitable place of the Chilean Patagonia.
It has three accesses: Sarmiento, Laguna Amarga and Laguna Azul porter's offices. Its main attractions are its irregular topography, its diverse flora and fauna that make it an ideal place for those who wish to visit a different and unique place in the planet. Standing out, without a doubt, are Torres and Cuernos del Paine, a group of rocky formations that rise vertically giving life to the Park and whereby the main trekking trails are traced.
Some of the stunning pinnacles of the Park are Paine Grande mount, Cuernos del Paine themselves, Torres del Paine, Fortaleza and Escudo. However, besides enjoying the summits, you can also get delighted with the Lakes, among them, the beautiful Grey lake and Serrano river, an excellent place for fishing.
Park vegetation is diverse, depending on the different zones. The most typical species are mata barrosa, calafate (that produces a berry that locals say you have to eat to return), steppes and coirón (broom sedge), capachitos and orchids. There are also small lenga and coigüe tree forests close to Pehoé Lake and on the way to Grey Lake.
Among typical fauna inhabitants of the park you will find guanacos, ñandues, condors, pumas, grey foxes and culpeos, as well as a great variety of birds. The best equipped circuits can be traveled by car. More than 100 kilometers of roads cross the Park. Another option, the most common, is to practice hiking or trekking through clearly marked and signaled trails.
In a smooth slope. There is the picturesque and beautiful city of Puerto Natales, capital of the province of Ultima Esperanza, founded in 1911 that only has 17,000 inhabitants. Access point to the Patagonia, Puerto Natales is one of the most important tourist centers within the region. It is accessible by bus from Punta Arenas traveling the 247 km. that separate them, by ferry from Puerto Montt, by land from Río Turbio town in the Argentine Patagonia, or by plane from any place.
Puerto Natales is a true center in terms of tourism. This is the departing point of the tours to the Patagonian channels and glaciers on Navimag Ferries and the pleasant and beautiful tours to Milodon Cave and Torres del Paine National Park.
In the case of Puerto Natales, this picturesque city has a lot to offer. Along the edge of Señoret channel is the Pedro Montt promenade that offers beautiful views to Seno Ultima Esperanza and the Antonio Varas peninsula, and some glances of the Serrano and Balmaceda glaciers.
With regard to tours, Puerto Natales offers some interesting adventures. Frigorífico Bories located 4 km. away from the city, founded by the Sociedad Explotadora Tierra del Fuego, is an interesting tour, where you will be able to see how the English administered livestock corporations at the beginning of the century. Puerto Prat, on the way to Torres del Paine, has the typical houses of the foreign immigrants from the beginning of the century and a beautiful cemetery.
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