Population
~1,000
Region
Aysén
Highlights
Parque Nacional Queulat
Lago Risopatrón
Puyuhuapi Channel
Puyuhuapi is a fishing village and port in central Aysén, founded in the late-1930s by four Germans. Millions of years ago, the narrow valley around present-day Puyuhuapi, was carved into the earth by ancient glaciers. Today, the valley is covered by thick rainforest. The village is connected with the Pacific Ocean and regional hub, Puerto Montt, by the Puyuhuapi fjord – an important doorway to northern Aysén before the construction of the Carretera Austral reached the area in the early-1990s. The next closest ports with access to the Pacific Ocean are Puerto Cisnes (~90 km to the south) and Chaitén (~190 km to the north).
The village is exposed to rain (which is frequent) and tsunamis (which aren't). Visitors should expect damp, cloudy days year-round. Temperatures are moderate and humidity is high. The surrounding valley protects the village from prevailing westerly winds from the Pacific Ocean.
Best in Puyuhuapi
Eat
Comuy-Huapi
Puyuhuapi has limited (affordable) dining options, but this small hostel near the water serves a tasty daily menu for a reasonable price. The portions are adequate and the staff is helpful and friendly. Located across from the plaza on Llautureo.
Stay
Casa Ludwig
Owned-and-operated by the daughter of Ernesto Ludwig, one of Puyuhuapi's founding fathers. There are only 10 rooms (from singles to family-sized rooms) and during summer these fill up fast. Complimentary breakfast is served with home-baked whole grain bread. Beds starting @ $28,000 CLP.
Hostería Alemana
Hostería Alemana is located in the center of town with a beautiful garden claiming to be "the perfect amalgam between the Germanic neatness and the hospitality of the southerners of Chile." Rooms are modest but have everything you need including a heater. The staff and owner, Ursula, are friendly and accommodating and will typically allow cyclists to keep their bikes in the back room along with some gardening supplies. Breakfast is tasty, but rationed for guests. The wifi in the shared living space picks up a decent signal. $45,000 CLP for a matrimonial room.
Puyuhuapi's German Roots
In the early-1930s, Germany was in the midst of a severe economic depression. With fascism looming and war on the horizon, four Germans from the Sudetenland began researching Chilean Patagonia, using the writings of Dr. Hans Steffen, a prominent German explorer and geographer. Believing the temperature and landscape in Aysén to be similar to their home of Sudetenland, which had been part of Czechoslovakia since Germany's defeat in WWI, the men packed their bags and traveled to Puerto Montt, Chile.
In Puerto Montt, the men gathered information on the surrounding area and studied local maps. After deciding on somewhere along the Puyuhuapi inlet, the men boarded a tiny boat and were dropped off 20 km south of present-day Puyuhuapi. The entire area was uninhabited —the forest crowded right down to the shore and reeds grew abundantly. Following the inlet north, they reached the end of the fjord and settled upon present-day Puyuhuapi. Clearing the land was hard work and initially the settlers faced some setbacks — their first two shelters were washed away by the river and the third, of sturdier construction, burned down.
By 1939, the area was cleared and ready to accommodate more colonists; unfortunately, the men's homeland, Sudetenland, had been annexed by Nazi Germany (via the Munich Agreement). Hitler, with a new war looming, refused to grant any emigration permits.
Explore Nearby
Hot Springs
The Los Lagos and Aysén regions of Chile are hotspots for volcanic activity — subterranean magma creates ideal conditions for thermal hot springs. As underground water (flowing through an aquifer toward the spring) passes by hot rocks and magma (i.e. melted rocks), the temperature of the water increases.
The Puyuhuapi area is home to two thermal-pool establishments.
Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa is a luxurious accommodation, isolated on the western coast of the fjord and only accessible by boat. The spa boasts outdoor & indoor thermal pools, massages, and seaweed treatments. The lodge offers an all-inclusive packages which includes transportation to and from Aeropuerto Balmaceda (Coyhaique), fine cuisine and kayak tours on the fjord.
Termas de Ventisquero is a thermal pool complex just off the Carretera Austral (6 km south of Puyuhuapi). Entry costs ~$17,000 CLP per person (less in the off-season). The pools are open as late as 23:00 and are accompanied by a warm café, which serves tea & coffee, baked goods and pizza.
Trekking
There are plenty of trekking opportunities in nearby Parque Nacional Queulat, but for some closer day-hike options, check out these local hikes:
- Senderos Los Colonos (~1km)
- Mirador de Puyuhuapi (~1km)
- Senderos Los Pumas (~5.3km)
Bike route from Puyuhuapi to Villa Amengual