Lake crossing from Chile to Argentina

Amanda and I did not sleep very well last night due to howling dogs and street noise which was so odd as we stayed at a B&B on a very residential street. To top it all off, there was no hot water in the morning. Amanda and Cyn not for the win. But it was bound to happen as I had seen multiple reviews where water seemed to be a problem.

We made it down to the harbor area where we took the 1st bus as part of our scenic lake crossing into Argentina from Chile. It is a mixture of bus and boat rides that take about 12 hours to go from Puerto Varas, Chile to Bariloche, Argentina. Your luggage is entirely handled so it is quite convenient between the transfers. A true bus would take about 6 hours, but with our limited time we wanted to take advantage of seeing both the Chilean and Argentine lake districts.

The bus drove along lake Llanquihue which is the largest lake in Chile and the 4th largest in South America. The lake was beautiful and we learned that Chile is the 2nd largest exporter of salmon. We passed a canola field and visited the 1st national park of Chile called Parque Nacional Vicente Perez Rosales. Here we saw the Petrohue river and some rapids that are created from the glacier water.

We then hopped on our bus that took us to our catamaran at the Lake Todos los Santos which was discovered by Jesuits on November 1st many years ago. The boat ride lasted about an hour and 45 minutes and the view of the Osorno volcano was 90% viewable despite the mist. The sun did manage to peer through and the glistening water was beautiful. We passed a few waterfalls and even picked up a local resident off of their tiny boat. The Chilean government opted to allow the original habitants maintain their homes when they converted the land to a national park. These folks use the waterfalls for energy and take advantage of the lake crossing boats to travel / commute for free.

We arrived in Peulla where we lunched at the Natura hotel for a few hours. There were excursion options which we opted not to take. After lunch we went to the Chilean customs house and checked out of Chile.

Then a 2 hour ride through the Andes and on windy / switchback roads, we reached Puerto Frias where we checked into Argentina and had a hot chocolate with cognac. The boat ride was about 20 minutes. Then a quick 10 minute bus ride for a 1 hour boat ride in a part of Lake Nanuel Huapi which is the lake Bariloche is located. Then a 45 minute ride into the center of Bariloche.

4 buses, 3 boat rides, 2 Argentine lakes, and 1 Chilean lake, over 12 hours we were able to view volcanoes, waterfalls, glaciers, and gorgeous scenery. The forecast had predicted rain, but we got a mix of mist, sun, and overcast. But more importantly we were able to take in the sites as the fog would clear up.

We stumbled upon a fondue restaurant called La Alpina, but ended up not ordering fondue. It is quite appropriate as Bariloche is known to be like a Swiss town that has been transplanted in the Andes. The town is very active and touristy, but would love to come back in the future to soak it all in.

With our flight from Bariloche canceled tomorrow, we take a 5 hour overnight bus to Neuquen to catch a flight to Buenos Aires tomorrow morning. Should be fun! We are currently waiting at the Bariloche bus station and sitting in our cama seats that recline fully in our double decker bus. Buenas noches!