Petrohué on Lake Todos los Santos

When planning a trip to Petrohué, bus connections, Lake Todos los Santos, and the Sendero Los Alerces trail in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park offer different points of reference. If you are looking for a hotel in Petrohué, first consider whether getting there, taking a boat trip, or exploring the landscape on foot will be the focus of your stay.

Bus, road, and lake

Different starting points are relevant for getting there: Buses Interlagos connects Ensenada with Petrohué, local buses connect Puerto Varas and the Petrohué sector, and Buses JM runs as far as Petrohué. Ensenada and Puerto Varas therefore offer two different reference points for planning your bus journey; which one matters to you depends on where you start your trip. Routes and schedules may change. Check current service before you travel.

The road ends at Puerto Petrohue; that is where Lake Todos los Santos begins. Petrohué is also home to the pier for boat trips across the lake. The road’s end at Puerto Petrohue and the pier in Petrohué are two distinct points of reference for your planning.

Boat trips and their destinations

A boat trip across Lake Todos los Santos goes as far as Villa Peulla, a small border town on the eastern shore. Puerto Petrohue is the departure port for the Cruce Andino, which connects Puerto Varas with the city of Bariloche in Argentina. In the wider region, Turismo Andino del Sud connects Salto del Petrohué and Peulla with a catamaran trip. When planning, it is worth keeping the destination names distinct: Villa Peulla is the destination of the trip across the lake, Peulla is one of the destinations on the catamaran trip, and the Cruce Andino connects with Bariloche. Check current service and travel times for each connection in advance.

Landscape and trail characteristics

In the wider region, Lake Todos los Santos has intensely emerald-green water of glacial origin. The Sendero Los Alerces trail is in the Petrohué sector of Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park and passes through an area with native vegetation, small climbs, and wet terrain; wooden bridges and boardwalks are also part of the trail. This brings two distinct ways of experiencing nature together: the lake’s glacial waters in the wider region and the specific character of the trail in the Petrohué sector.

The Saltos del Río Petrohué are also part of the wider region. Lava flows from eruptions of Volcán Osorno met the waters of the Río Petrohué and solidified into basalt rock. At Lake Todos los Santos, the focus is on the glacial origin of the water; at the Saltos, it is on cooled lava. This distinction gives the landscape around Petrohué another geological dimension.

Discover more destinations: Puerto Varas, Frutillar, Puerto Montt, Llanquihue, Quillaipe, Fresia, Carelmapu, Maullín

For the main travel overview: Llanquihue Province.