Chile’s Northern Patagonia region and how it was impacted by COVID-19

Parque Nacional Vicente Perez Rosales

Northern Patagonia, commonly known as the Lakes District of Chile, is an amazing part of the world that more people should see if given the opportunity. Tourism there is struggling though, and Covid-19 is a big part of the problem.

COVID-19 Restrictions in Chile

When arriving to Chile in mid-September 2022, it became apparent I’d need to keep my mask handy. Even two and half years after the  pandemic first broke out, there were still many regulations to prevent Covid-19 spread, including proof of vaccination when flying and for some official events. Masks were also required in most places indoors and there were capacity restrictions listed on most storefronts. All the restrictions felt a bit outdated, and many Chileans agree, but the government hasn’t yet taken the initiative to change them. It’s obvious restrictions like these have had a huge implications on the tourism industry.

As I traveled through Chile to Santiago, and then to the Lakes District in Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, I noticed a shocking amount of businesses were closed, both corporate and small, and whose storefronts were now defaced with graffiti (except for Puerto Varas which is a high-class resort town). A tour guide I had for a tour of Puerto Montt, Andrés Oyarzun of Patagonia SouthernLand Expeditions, explained what I was seeing. He said due to the strict Covid-19 restrictions over the past couple of years, many businesses simply went bankrupt and workers found new jobs. This was especially true in tourism, which was just beginning to grow as an industry in Chile before the pandemic. “Small tourism companies aren’t able to compete with large ones and many have just closed their businesses,” he told me. Since the larger companies often have more of a financial cushion and larger networks to help them recover, small tourism businesses have really struggled to compete. Now, more then ever, there are lack of small tourism businesses to support the industry in Chile. And those that do exist, have limited resources to progress.

So why should you visit Chile’s Lake District? It is not only super crucial for their tourism economy, but it is also offers unparalleled beauty.

Visiting the Lakes District

While many visitors to Chile head straight for Torres del Paine National Park in the southernmost part of the country, the northern Patagonia Lakes District is another nature-abundant destination. Despite many peoples’ understanding, Patagonia actually begins north of Puerto Montt and stretches all the way down past Torres del Paine, near Puerto Natales. Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas are considered the “jumping off” point of Patagonia by many in the industry. While Puerto Montt offers an authentic local experience with many markets and a look a life in a “real” Chilean city, Puerto Varas is a more scenic and traveler-friendly town with many great restaurants, shops and attractions nearby.

Rafting, national park visits, biking, boating on the lakes and trekking the surrounding volcanoes are some of the most popular activities in the area. During my stay, I spent a half-day rafting on the beautiful Petrohué River on class III rapids with a company called Ko Kayak. Unfortunately, I went on a rainy day so I couldn’t see the volcano views, but I did get to experience the turquoise blue water and drink from it (it’s incredibly clear and clean)! Unreal. The rapids were fun too, of course, and gave me a good dose of adrenaline for the week.

Rafting the Petrohue River (not pictured: the very turquoise water)

Waterfall @ Todos Los Santos Lake on the way to Peulla

I also went on a full-day excursion as part of the “Route of the Andean Lakes” to visit the tourist village of Peulla, which includes a stop at Parque Nacional Vicente Perez Rosales, and a boat ride across Todos Los Santos Lake. It was also raining for this tour (rain is clearly very common here), but I still enjoyed the amazing waterfall views and pristine nature along the way. Since I couldn’t see the volcanoes from Todos Los Santos, Parque Nacional Vicente Perez Rosales struck me as the most beautiful. The contrast of the basalt rock and the way the water rushed around the rocks trying to find a way back to the river was really unique.

The Andes crossing has an interesting history, as it began as a transportation crossing that evolved into a tourist crossing. Peulla seemed like a lovely place for tourists to stay, but considering it was snowing, I only got a quarter of the experience. Developed into a tourism business in 1913 by Swiss pioneer Ricardo Roth, Turis Tour takes people here every day to experience the natural beauty, historical hotel and adventure activities on the island. I could definitely see it being a beautiful vacation spot for those looking for an all-inclusive experience. But for me, as a solo traveler, it felt a bit over-the-top and unauthentic. At least the views were good!

The resort on the island of Peulla, developed by Ricardo Roth

On my last day, Andres from Patagonia SouthernLand Expeditions took me on a tour of Puerto Montt and its many markets. He had me try a variety of local foods, including raw seafood, and we visited several cultural landmark around the city. I felt like I got the real Chilean local experience from this, which to me is a priority during my travels.

Conclusion

When thinking about a trip to Chile, I hope more people consider a visit to the northern Patagonia Lakes District. There’s plenty of gorgeous nature to marvel at and culture to be explored. If you do decide make the visit, try to support a small-scale tour operator. They could use the business and they are the best outlet for truly supporting the locals as their network is made up of professional friends trying to make a living, not big brands. Let’s not let covid-19 be their downfall. There’s too much beauty to see here.