Petrohue Falls

The Petrohue river leaves Lake Todos los Santos and immediately runs into a barrier of andesite laid down by Osorno, which it has cut into a set of narrow channels and chutes rather than a single fall - the drop is only a few metres but the volume forced through the gaps makes it violent, and the water is the strong green of glacial meltwater. Boardwalks and platforms run along the rock with Osorno directly behind on a clear day. The site is inside Vicente Perez Rosales, established in 1926 and the first national park created in Chile.

Highlights

• Water forced through rock channels - chutes rather than a single fall.
• Green glacial meltwater - out of Lake Todos los Santos.
• Osorno directly behind - on the days it is clear.
• Chile's first national park - Vicente Perez Rosales, from 1926.

When to go

October to April; the park is open year round but wet in winter. Half a day.

Things to know

The rock beside the water is slippery. Rain here is frequent and heavy. The car park fills with tour buses in the middle of the day. Osorno is often hidden by cloud.

Nearby

Lake Todos los Santos is upstream at Petrohue; Osorno volcano is north.

Key facts