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We aim to be honest on this blog, and for the sake of honesty we will tell you to skip Puerto Montt. You see, the only reason we went there is because Google Images and every piece of tourism propaganda this side of the Andes tricked us into believing the famous white and red church overlooking a lake and volcano of Puerto Varas is in Puerto Montt. In fact, it’s not even on the same lake. It would seem that Puerto Montt is so void of things to do and see that they have to use an attraction from 20 miles away to lure people in, and hey, we fell for it!
It was probably the least safe-feeling of all the places we visited in Chile, and while we’re usually happy to stroll around unbeautified, everyday streets, Puerto Montt just didn’t do anything for us (below is the street our hostel was on). The only real advantage of Puerto Montt is that you get to see medium-sized-town Chile virtually untouched by tourism.
If you really must go, the market near the Puerto Montt bus terminal is an experience, and there is a quiet artisanal village just down the main road (away from town). You can also get day-trips to Chiloe Island from Puerto Montt, where you can see penguins, wooden-stilted houses and serene landscapes.
Sorry to shit on this town, I just think as a tourist Puerto Montt isn’t worth the visit.
You might consider these nearby destinations in Chile instead of visiting Puerto Montt:
- The beautiful town of Puerto Varas – this certainly is worth visiting. Puerto Varas is only 30 minutes away by colectivo (minibuses that leave whenever full)
- The penguins and stilted houses of Chiloe Island – Chile’s largest island, just a couple of hours further south of Puerto Montt
- The everyday hustle of Osorno – another place mostly untouched by tourism, and a much nicer intro into how life is lived in Chile’s small towns
Recommended stay to enjoy Puerto Montt: 0-1 days
Last Updated on 22 December 2021 by Cuppa to Copa Travels
Hey, thanks for writing this! I’m going to be heading up to Chiloe soon and was wondering this exact question, so this was great to know!
Thanks for reading, hope you have a fantastic trip!