Getting To and Away

Getting to and away Types:
Getting to and away

By Shanie Matthews

There is not an airport in Puerto Varas so it is advisable to fly into Osorno or Puerto Montt via LAN Chile or Sky Airlines. From the airports in the neighboring towns, you may rent a car (recommended as there are many excursions away from Puerto Varas city center), or take a bus or taxi. There are multiple buses from Santiago that travel to Puerto Varas. These include Cruz del Sur (Tel: 2-696-9325) which leaves from Los Heroes Terminal, the Tur-Bus (Tel: 2-778-7338) which leaves from the San Borja Terminal, and the Tas Choapa bus line, leaving from the main Santiago bus terminal, city center (Tel: 2-778-7074 / 2-490-7561). Schedules and times change often, so it is advisable to contact the bus company directly.

If flying into Osorno, the major bus is Cruz del Sur, which leaves daily for Puerto Varas during high season – contact them directly for the winter schedule. From the Puerto Montt airport there are taxis available for US$20 or minibuses (US$1.40).

As there are several different places you can head to from Puerto Varas, check the individual bus companies for exact times of departure. If leaving for Osorno, Valdivia or Tamuco, Cruz del Sur has eight departures daily leaving from the San Francisco 1317 terminal, the office is located at Walker Martinez 230. For trips to Santiago the Tur Bus, Tas Choapa and Buses Norte are the most dependable rides. The Tur Bus office is located at San Pedro 210, Tas Choapa at Walker Martinez 227 and Buses Norte at San Pedro 210.

If traveling to Bariloche, Argentina, there are three modes of transportation. Tas Choapa has a bus leaving every Monday and Saturday and Cruz del Sur has buses leaving every day during high season. There is also the Cruce de Lagos bus and boat combo that is a multiple day trip, traveling both to and from Argentine and Chilean ports. This trip has been suspended until September 2008. Check the crossings website for more information, www.crucedelagos.cl.