Southern Chile and the Lake District
There are several ways to cross from Argentina to Chile, and in Patagonia, most of them involve water. From Tierra del Fuego, it's easy enough to cross the border between countries. Boats sail from port to port. There's not much need to attempt an arduous mountain crossing, risking bad weather, glaciers, steep peaks and high mountain lakes like these in Torres del Paine National Park, with Los Cuernos del Paine in the distance.
Photo from ArtToday | |
Photo from ArtToday |
There are various explanations for the name of the park.
"Some say Paine was an early settler. Others say the name comes from an ancient Indian word meaning blue -- hearkening to the intense blue of the area's lakes. Whatever the name comes from or means this is a spectacular park comparable to Yellowstone or Yosemite in the U.S. Founded in 1959 Torres del Paine takes in 450,000 acres. In 1978 UNESCO gave the park World Heritage status recognizing it as a biosphere especially worthy of international recognition. Home to the Torres del Paine Circuit which is on everybody's short list of must-do treks." GORP |
| Farther north, beyond the fjords and islands, crossing between Chile and Argentina by the lakes crossing is popular and requires advance reservations during high season. The route uses two lakes, Lake Todos Los Santos, shown here, in Chile and Lake Nahuel Huapi in Argentina. Bus service connects the two lakes and those who make the journey never forget the spectacular scenery. | 
Photo from ArtToday |
Photo from ArtToday |
The lakes and mountains comprising the Lake District of Southern Chile are masterpieces
of nature. Osorno is a near-perfect cone shaped volcano overlooking Lake Llanquihue,
not far from Todos los Santos. Pucon and Villarica are only two of the many lake district
resort areas.
Petrohué Falls, shown here with Osorno in the background, are only one of the reasons bringing visitors to the area. There are many national parks in the region, and fishing, water sports, climbing and skiing are prime recreational activities. Resorts line the many lakes, and vacations there can be restful or adventurous, as the vacationer pleases. |
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