Waterfalls, Lakes and Volcanoes

28th Dec, Petrohue to Puerto Varas (39M)

Up early again to try and beat the wind,bound to be a westerly and therefore headwind. It is certainly chillier here that it was further north in Argentina. Sun was on the snow capped volcan Osorno opposite, but hadn´t reached our tent yet. Porridge and coffee helped us to combat the cold, but we had to pack the tent away wet from the mornings dew. Then down to the now warm sunny jetty to wait for our lift across the river.
Once across the river we had about 4M of gravel road before the tarmac began. We stopped to visit the ´Salto de Petrohue´waterfalls, lovely little falls on the river that the road was following. It did feel a bit touristy, as we were joined by a couple of bus loads of people visiting the waterfalls before they continued up to Petrohue for a boat trip.

We continued onwards following the river downstream towards Ensenada and Lago Llanquihue, where we had a stop for bread and empanadas before continuing on around the lake for 50km to Puerto Varas. The road was rolling and hard work at times, but the beautiful views of the lake on our right and the volcanoes Osorno and Calbuco behind us were stunning. With just 15km to go we stopped for a lazy rest on a lakeside beach, black warm sand and a cool breeze were a lovely combination. Only the odd horsefly to keep Gareth awake and occupied while I had a little doze.
Arriving in Puerto Varas was like arriving at an up-market seaside resort. No arcades, but lots of hotels and people swimming in the crystal clear lake waters. What was lacking was a campsite, so we spoilt ourslves to a hostel and after a bit of bargaining got a cheaper rate for a double room rather than saving our pesos in a dorm.