Lake Todos los Santos

Todos los Santos is a long glacial lake in Vicente Perez Rosales national park, dammed at its western end by lava from Osorno and coloured a strong green by suspended volcanic sediment. No road runs along it: the only way from Petrohue at one end to Peulla at the other is by boat, which is why the crossing survives as the middle leg of the Cruce Andino, the bus and boat route over the Andes to Bariloche in Argentina that has run in some form since the early twentieth century. Tronador, Osorno and Puntiagudo stand around it, and the shores are dense Valdivian forest.

Background

The name means All Saints Lake. It lies 76 km east of Puerto Varas and 96 km northeast of Puerto Montt, at 189 metres, and covers 178.5 km² with a maximum depth of 337 m and a volume of 33.9 km3. As recently as 20,000 years ago a large glacier filled the basin, and it only retreated approximately 10,000 years ago. In the 19th century German colonists called it Lake Esmeralda, Emerald Lake, after the colour of its water. At Petrohué the outflow becomes the Petrohué River, with an average flow of 270 m³ per second, and the lake level can vary by more than 3 m.

Source: Wikipedia, "Todos los Santos Lake"

Highlights

• A green glacial lake - coloured by volcanic sediment.
• Dammed by Osorno's lava - at its western end.
• No road along the shores - the boat is the only through route.
• Part of the Cruce Andino - the old crossing to Bariloche.

When to go

December to March; boat services are reduced in winter. A full day.

What to expect

Boat schedules are limited and the Cruce Andino is sold as a package rather than as separate legs. Rain is very frequent, and the mountains are often hidden. Peulla has almost no services beyond its hotels.

Nearby

Petrohue falls are just downstream; Peulla and the Argentine border are east.

Key facts