Lake Llanquihue
The second largest lake in Chile, ringed by German colonist towns and watched over by two volcanoes.
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Llanquihue covers around 860 square kilometres, which makes it the second largest lake in Chile after General Carrera, and it was formed by glaciers coming off the Andes during the ice ages, dammed by moraine at its western end. Osorno stands on its eastern shore with Calbuco behind, so the standard image of the Chilean lake district is taken from somewhere on this water. The German colonisation of the 1850s went in around it, and the towns on its shores - Puerto Varas, Frutillar, Puerto Octay, Llanquihue - all date from that programme. The circuit road round the lake is about 180 kilometres.
What you actually see
- The second largest lake in Chile - about 860 square kilometres.
- Osorno and Calbuco above it - the two cones on the eastern side.
- A ring of colonist towns - all from the 1850s settlement scheme.
- A circuit of about 180 kilometres - the road round the shore.
When to go
December to March. A full day to drive the circuit.
Honest expectations
The volcanoes are hidden by cloud a great deal of the time. The water is cold for swimming. The western side is close to route 5 and busier. Rain is frequent in every season.
Nearby
Puerto Varas is on the southern shore; Osorno volcano is east.
What to pack for Lake Llanquihue
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
