famous road
Ruta de los Lagos (Lake District Route)
A scenic cross-border route through the Chilean and Argentine Lake District past snow-capped volcanoes and pristine lakes.
17 km · about 20 min drive
South AmericaChileLos Lagos Region
Puerto Montt
Los Lagos Region, Chile · South America
About Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Puerto Varas, 17km from Ruta de los Lagos (Lake District Route).
Puerto Montt is in Los Lagos Region, Chile, with about 250,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Puerto Varas, about 17 km away.
Puerto Montt (Mapuche: Meli Pulli) is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region, 1,055 km to the south of the capital, Santiago. The commune spans an area of 1,673 km2 (646 sq mi) and has a population of 245,902 in 2017.Read more
It is bounded by the communes of Puerto Varas to the north, Cochamó to the east and southeast, Calbuco to the southwest and Maullín and Los Muermos to the west.
Founded as late as 1853 during the German colonization of southern Chile, Puerto Montt soon outgrew older neighboring cities through its strategic position at the southern end of the Chilean Central Valley being a gateway city into the Chiloé Archipelago, the Llanquihue and Nahuel Huapi lakes and Western Patagonia.
Puerto Montt has gained renown and grown significantly through the rise of Chile to become the second largest salmon producer of the world during the 1990s and 2000s. However, the Chilean salmon aquaculture crisis of the late 2000s resulted in severe unemployment and exposed weaknesses in the local economy. The city's cultural endowment mixes elements of Chilean-Spanish culture with a German heritage. The city has attracted a significant number of newcomers from all over Chile in the last 30 years in search of employment opportunities.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Puerto Montt?
Within an hour or so of Puerto Montt: Ruta de los Lagos (Lake District Route) (17 km), Saltos del Petrohué (53 km), Osorno Volcano (56 km).
Are there any good drives near Puerto Montt?
The nearest famous roads are Ruta de los Lagos (Lake District Route).
Where is Puerto Montt?
Puerto Montt is in Los Lagos Region, Chile, about 17 km from Puerto Varas.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 245,902
- Continent
- South America
- Country
- Chile
- Region
- Los Lagos Region
- Timezone
- America/Santiago
- Coordinates
- -41.4693, -72.9424
Tags
Worth the detour from Puerto Montt
3 notable places within an hour's drive.
waterfall
Saltos del Petrohué
Basalt-channel rapids on the Petrohué River in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, reached by road from Ensenada.
53 km · about 60 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Osorno Volcano
Symmetrical 2,652-metre stratovolcano above Lake Llanquihue, with a paved access road to a ski centre viewpoint.
56 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Puerto Montt
- 17 kmRuta de los Lagos (Lake District Route)A scenic cross-border route through the Chilean and Argentine Lake District past snow-capped volcanoes and pristine lakes.
- 56 kmOsorno VolcanoSymmetrical 2,652-metre stratovolcano above Lake Llanquihue, with a paved access road to a ski centre viewpoint.
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