From Los Angeles ( Chile ) the Lakes District was only a few hours drive south. Long, straight, smooth highways almost all the way made for an effortless drive, first to Villarrica, and then on to Pucon. Two of the gems in the Chilean Lakes District these two towns attract Chileans in droves. We spent almost 5 days in the area and can see why it is so popular. Reminded us very much of Banff/Jasper….just had that kind of feel. Sampled some of the best coffees and sweets so far and had the usual amazing Chilean hospitality especially where we stayed.
Prior to leaving Los Angeles ( Chile ) we took all Nienke’s Argentine pesos off her hands. Would come in handy if we crossed into Argentina at a remote locationPan American highway signs began to reappear in ChileFinally, 10 days into our time in Chile and no longer did we need to self report possible Covid symptoms !Rodrigo hosted us at his cabanas in Villarrica on our first night, he had studied in Winnipeg and warmly welcomed some impromptu Canadian guestsStreet scene in VillarricaStreet scene in Villarrica Patricia, who owned the laundromat in Villarrica was a godsend. Helped us through the Chilean health process. Another fluent English speaker, she and her family had lived in Canada in the 70’s after fleeing the Pinochet regimeWhile in Villarrica we needed to do a test to guarantee to the Chilean health authority that we really had been vaccinated. Required to extend our health pass to 90 daysSunset in Pucon where camped on the waterfront one nightView to Volcan Villarrica from the Pucon waterfrontOur camp “site” one night in Pucon. Overlanders had mentioned this little gem so we sought it out. A stunning view to wake up to but a disturbed night of sleep. We moved on…..Rural scene in the Lakes District. A snow-capped volcano around every corner it seemed Volcan Villarrica Street scene, Pucon ( parking was impossible ! )Great cafe/coffee shops in Pucon, we sampled a bunch. So tempting !The name “O’Higgins” appears all over Chile and he was a legendary historical figure ( with an Irish background ). Many streets and plazas bear his name.Andrea (with “Blackie” ) who hosted us for a few days in Pucon. Camping Copacabana, one of the best campsites we have been at.Street scene in PuconWe spent several days just roaming around the Lakes District, partially following the “7 Lakes Circuit”Volcan VillarricaStopped in at Panguipulli as we left the lakes area. A dynamic view from our hillside spot in the afternoon…..…and a stunning night view after dark on a beautifully moonlit night
Our week closed with a drive on to Puerto Montt, a southern port city in Chile and the official beginning of the Carretera Austral. En route a pit stop was made in Osorno since our trusty iOverlander app had identified a propane depot that could apparently fill our North American tank ( and we running precariously low with some extended remote travelling ahead in potentially colder weather ). Osorno was, in all likelihood, our last kick at the can until we crossed the border into Argentina (probably well into December). Fortunately the gods were smiling on us……success with the first one we visited !
IOverlander listed 4 possible locations for propane, two of which had in the past filled North American tanks…..fingers crossed they would help us. We tried the one near the highway first.Happiness is….finding a propane depot that “might” fill your foreign tank. The different fittings in each country make it a real challenge on the PanAmericanaSheer delight is….actually getting it filled !
All going well, next week should have us on Chile’s famous Carretera Austral. We are scheduled to take the ferry from Quellon ( on the island of Chiloe ) to Chaiten where ( in practice ) this legendary road journey begins…….
Chile’s famous Ruta 7, or Carretera Austral ( Southern Highway )
24 Comments
Penny
on November 20, 2021 at 7:32 am
Made my morning. Thanks again for beautiful photos.
Jeff Gunn
on November 20, 2021 at 2:25 pm
You are too kind. The photos I have are crystal clear but when I upload to WordPress I have to seriously lower the resolution to get them on the post. Kind of annoys me !!! Glad you enjoyed.
Chris Woods
on November 20, 2021 at 8:43 am
How’s the truck and camper performing? Looks like some serious mountains ahead!
Jeff Gunn
on November 20, 2021 at 2:28 pm
So far so good Chris. Drinks a little more fuel on the hills of course but otherwise it seems to be enjoying Chile ! Perhaps it’s the fact that 93 octane is standard here !
Mark
on November 20, 2021 at 9:54 am
What a wonderful drive you are doing Jeff & Lois!
Jeff Gunn
on November 20, 2021 at 2:28 pm
Well, we are hoping the best is yet to come…..!
Tonia Roggeveen
on November 20, 2021 at 11:43 am
Your travels look amazing!!!
Bet you’re glad to see your camper again.
Jeff Gunn
on November 20, 2021 at 2:30 pm
Hi Tonia,
Yes, it was great to be reunited….now it seems like we never parted ( lol !). You still in Cranbrook ?
Anne Gunn
on November 20, 2021 at 1:29 pm
Good story yet again – loved that area, but unfortunately that’s as far south as we got whilst in South America. Look forward to seeing & hearing about the next leg of your trip. We are in the Victorian Goldfields – hoping to find some au over the next few days.
Jeff Gunn
on November 20, 2021 at 2:32 pm
Thanks Anne, it was very enjoyable there for sure. Just booked our ferry for Chaiten so all going well we will be on the Carretera on Monday. Just came down through Osorno and Puerto Montt and on to Quellon ( bottom of the island of Chiloe ).
Charlie Harris
on November 20, 2021 at 9:26 pm
I was wondering about the photo resolution. It used to be a lot better. Did WordPress change something?
Jeff Gunn
on November 21, 2021 at 10:31 am
I’m glad you asked ! It’s my biggest frustration with this hosting platform. I take all shots in high resolution but have to drop them down a lot to get the posts done. Honestly, it’s probably not so much WordPress as the fact that most wifi services are sooooooo slow that I just can’t spend the time required to load them in original format. My WordPress coach did warn me about this I must confess. Be very happy to learn of a shortcut to getting my best quality shots loaded as they are taken if you know of one…?
Gerald
on November 20, 2021 at 2:04 pm
Wow, a full calendar of activities. Thx for your guiding and sharing. Propane and all!
Jeff Gunn
on November 20, 2021 at 2:33 pm
Thanks Gerald…! Yes, I know, who could imagine that filling a propane bottle could bring such joy ! Ha ha !
Charlie Harris
on November 20, 2021 at 9:20 pm
Ok, I’ll bite… what happened in Pucon? “A stunning view to wake up to but a disturbed night of sleep. We moved on…..”
Jeff Gunn
on November 21, 2021 at 10:37 am
Well, it was quiet for a while after dinner – then the night owls emerged. You’ve been in Latin America so you know they start late and stay up late. People were coming and going until 1.00 am ! Talking loudly, parking and standing right beside us when there were like 8 parking spots free around us. Same thing happened in Siete Tasas NP….an empty campground and the only people who turned up ( nice though they were ) parked – you guessed it- right beside us !!!!! Hopefully in the next 2 weeks, being more remote, that won’t be an issue….we’ll probably be screaming for the company !
Ross Jeffries
on November 27, 2021 at 9:25 am
Was that a Nanaimo bar you had at the little cafe in Pucon?
Jeff Gunn
on November 27, 2021 at 12:22 pm
Hi Ross,
Nice to hear from you and regards to Dawn ! You have a keen eye, I must say – not exactly a Nanaimo bar but very close only with a peppermint flavored middle. They were divine !!! I picked it because of its resemblance to a Nanaimo bar actually.
Joanne McQuary
on December 5, 2021 at 4:42 am
So great to hear yours and Lois journey is continuing and the pictures are amazing. Thanks for sharing, great way for us people who are still working to see the country.
Jeff Gunn
on December 8, 2021 at 12:54 am
Hi Joanne and so great to hear from you ! Glad you are following along and enjoying the read. Yes the last few weeks have been pretty spectacular ( but the roads have been a bit crazy !).
Ciao for now
Jeff/Lois
Ollie
on December 7, 2021 at 8:56 pm
Looks amazing you guys. I’m a tad jealous 🙂
Jeff Gunn
on December 8, 2021 at 12:49 am
Well still a few summer months left … come on down !
Fue un gran placer conocerlos, espero que sigan teniendo un excelente viaje.
Y poder seguir todas sus aventuras.
Jeff Gunn
on December 20, 2021 at 4:45 pm
And a great pleasure to meet you and your family, too, Andrea ! Loved our stay at Camping Copacabana. If we return to Pucon at some point, we will visit you again…!
Jeff + Lois
The PanAm completed in April, 2022 and with the truck camper sold, we shipped our new Sprinter van to Australia in late 2022. We travelled there through all of 2023 and into 2024 before shipping it up to North East Asia where we travelled for 4 months between Korea and Japan, before shipping it back to North America. It’s our plan to continue exploring the world in 2025.
Made my morning. Thanks again for beautiful photos.
You are too kind. The photos I have are crystal clear but when I upload to WordPress I have to seriously lower the resolution to get them on the post. Kind of annoys me !!! Glad you enjoyed.
How’s the truck and camper performing? Looks like some serious mountains ahead!
So far so good Chris. Drinks a little more fuel on the hills of course but otherwise it seems to be enjoying Chile ! Perhaps it’s the fact that 93 octane is standard here !
What a wonderful drive you are doing Jeff & Lois!
Well, we are hoping the best is yet to come…..!
Your travels look amazing!!!
Bet you’re glad to see your camper again.
Hi Tonia,
Yes, it was great to be reunited….now it seems like we never parted ( lol !). You still in Cranbrook ?
Good story yet again – loved that area, but unfortunately that’s as far south as we got whilst in South America. Look forward to seeing & hearing about the next leg of your trip. We are in the Victorian Goldfields – hoping to find some au over the next few days.
Thanks Anne, it was very enjoyable there for sure. Just booked our ferry for Chaiten so all going well we will be on the Carretera on Monday. Just came down through Osorno and Puerto Montt and on to Quellon ( bottom of the island of Chiloe ).
I was wondering about the photo resolution. It used to be a lot better. Did WordPress change something?
I’m glad you asked ! It’s my biggest frustration with this hosting platform. I take all shots in high resolution but have to drop them down a lot to get the posts done. Honestly, it’s probably not so much WordPress as the fact that most wifi services are sooooooo slow that I just can’t spend the time required to load them in original format. My WordPress coach did warn me about this I must confess. Be very happy to learn of a shortcut to getting my best quality shots loaded as they are taken if you know of one…?
Wow, a full calendar of activities. Thx for your guiding and sharing. Propane and all!
Thanks Gerald…! Yes, I know, who could imagine that filling a propane bottle could bring such joy ! Ha ha !
Ok, I’ll bite… what happened in Pucon? “A stunning view to wake up to but a disturbed night of sleep. We moved on…..”
Well, it was quiet for a while after dinner – then the night owls emerged. You’ve been in Latin America so you know they start late and stay up late. People were coming and going until 1.00 am ! Talking loudly, parking and standing right beside us when there were like 8 parking spots free around us. Same thing happened in Siete Tasas NP….an empty campground and the only people who turned up ( nice though they were ) parked – you guessed it- right beside us !!!!! Hopefully in the next 2 weeks, being more remote, that won’t be an issue….we’ll probably be screaming for the company !
Was that a Nanaimo bar you had at the little cafe in Pucon?
Hi Ross,
Nice to hear from you and regards to Dawn ! You have a keen eye, I must say – not exactly a Nanaimo bar but very close only with a peppermint flavored middle. They were divine !!! I picked it because of its resemblance to a Nanaimo bar actually.
So great to hear yours and Lois journey is continuing and the pictures are amazing. Thanks for sharing, great way for us people who are still working to see the country.
Hi Joanne and so great to hear from you ! Glad you are following along and enjoying the read. Yes the last few weeks have been pretty spectacular ( but the roads have been a bit crazy !).
Ciao for now
Jeff/Lois
Looks amazing you guys. I’m a tad jealous 🙂
Well still a few summer months left … come on down !
Fue un gran placer conocerlos, espero que sigan teniendo un excelente viaje.
Y poder seguir todas sus aventuras.
And a great pleasure to meet you and your family, too, Andrea ! Loved our stay at Camping Copacabana. If we return to Pucon at some point, we will visit you again…!