Cruises to Puerto Montt

121 Reviews
Puerto Montt (Photo:Maciej Bledowski/Shutterstock)

About Cruising to Puerto Montt

Puerto Montt, tucked into a V-shaped slit along the side of a mountain, isn't a big city, and when you arrive on your cruise to Chile, you might think you've been plunked down into a corner of Bavaria ... if it weren't for the signs in Spanish. Founded in 1853 and named for Manuel Montt, the president of Chile at the time, Puerto Montt was populated by German immigrants who brought with them their architecture, customs and culture.

You'll still experience Germanic influence today: Don't miss munching "kuchen," a German-influenced fruit flan, accompanied by the local German-style beer, Kunstmann. But what Puerto Montt is really all about is recreation -- lots of it. Though the small, mostly industrial city lacks the urban energy of Santiago to the north and the pristine beauty of the Tierra del Fuego region to the south, Puerto Montt -- at the southernmost end of Chile's Lake District -- is set among lakes, fjords and rivers, and nestled at the foot of snow-capped mountains.

After cruising up the coast from Punta Arenas, or down the coast from Valparaiso, a day enjoying the outdoor opportunities in and around Puerto Montt is just what most cruisers crave. Take your pick: hike up the perfectly symmetrical Osorno Volcano, try your hand at flyfishing, go whitewater rafting, waterski on Lake Llanquihue, try a zipline canopy tour, kayak along a river, paddle a canoe across a lake or ride a bicycle.

If you've come to Puerto Montt seeking less active pursuits, you can also have a lazy day with a lakeside picnic on a Pacific Ocean beach in the area, shop for local products and crafts at the artisan market, or try on leather boots in the shops.

  • More about Puerto Montt

  • Why Cruise to Puerto Montt?

  • Puerto Montt Cruise Port Facilities?

Loading...

We found you 64 cruises

Loading...
Loading...
Marina
Marina

18 Night
South America Cruise

808 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Seven Seas Mariner
Seven Seas Mariner (Photo: Regent)

150 Night
150 Night World Cruise

392 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Oosterdam
Oosterdam

22 Night
South America & Antarctica

1,087 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Marina
Marina

63 Night
World Cruise

808 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

51 Night
South America Cruise

731 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

14 Night
South America Cruise

1,020 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

32 Night
South America Cruise

1,020 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

17 Night
South America & The Chilean Fjords

426 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Cruise Critic Favorite

14 Night
South America Passage

1,087 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

14 Night
South America Cruise

1,020 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker
Cruise Critic Favorite

31 Night
Panama Canal Inca & South America Discovery

1,087 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

17 Night
South America & The Chilean Fjords

426 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

133 Night
133-day Grand Voyage: Pole To Pole

591 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

14 Night
South America Passage

1,087 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

22 Night
South America & Antarctica

1,087 Reviews
Leaving:
Cruise Line:
No prices currently available for this sailing.
  • Itinerary
  • Ship
  • Reviews
  • View All Prices
  • Fare Insight
  • Price Tracker

More about Puerto Montt

Why Cruise to Puerto Montt?

Pros:

Plenty of fantastic outdoorsy adventures are on offer here. Plan a day trip to the surrounding wilds

Cons:

This region of Chile is very rainy and windy; be prepared for the weather

Bottom Line:

This German-influenced industrial city is surrounded by mountains, rivers, beaches and fjords

Puerto Montt Cruise Port Facilities?

There are a few kiosk-type shops directly beyond the docking area and some international telephones. If you are choosing to explore Puerto Montt itself or have plans that do not include a ship excursion, you can walk right from the dock into the city, where you'll find grocery stores, cafes and the craft market stalls for souvenirs. If you are taking a shore excursion arranged by the cruiseline, the buses line up at the parking lot adjacent to the dock.

Good to Know?

Chile's Lake District is rainy to begin with, but the summer season, when the cruise ships call, is also the wettest season in the area. The city itself, because of the way it's situated in the mountain crevasse, is also very windy. No matter: Just take appropriate clothing, be prepared and you're bound to enjoy your day.

If your chosen activity gets rained out, there are plenty of shopping and lunching opportunities in Puerto Montt and in the lakeside resort town of Puerto Varas, just a 15-minute taxi drive away, or the seaside town of Playa Pelluco, also very close.

Getting Around?

If you're visiting the town or going to the German village Frutillar or lakeside city of Puerto Varas, you can walk or grab a cab for a reasonable price. The best way to see the area on your own, however, is to rent a car for the day; all of the major U.S. rental firms (Hertz, Budget, Avis) have an office in downtown Puerto Montt and the rates are quite reasonable. The Pan American Highway and the roads to most of the main tourist attractions are well maintained (they're privately owned, so tolls are the norm. Plan on paying about $10 or $12 for a full day of sightseeing).

There are two types of taxis, "colectivos" and private. A "colectivo" works like a mini-bus, following a fixed route and picking up passengers -- up to four -- along the way. They are identified by their colors, either solid yellow or solid black, are extremely inexpensive and indicate their general route via a rooftop sign. A regular taxi is yellow with a black roof, will take you where you want to go and works on a meter (also quite inexpensive).

Currency & Best Way to Get Money?

The currency is the Chilean peso (one U.S. dollar is equal to about 650 pesos). Most banks will not exchange money, and no banks in Chile will deal with traveler's checks. There are several ATM's throughout the city (including just outside the banks), and several casas de cambio (exchange centers) where, for a small fee, you can exchange U.S. dollars for pesos and cash traveler's checks. The artisans in the booths along Feria Artesanal Angelmo, near the tender dock, accept U.S. dollars, although the items are priced in pesos (i.e. if an item is priced at 1,100 pesos, you can pay $2 USD.)

Language?

Spanish, mostly, but there are a great many people in the region who also speak "Mapudungun," the language of the indigenous Mapuchu peoples, clusters of which are found throughout the Lake District. Tour operators, the occasional banker and hotel front desk personnel might speak English, but it's a rare occurrence.

Where You're Docked?

Puerto Montt is a tender port for larger cruise ships, but the ride isn't that long. The "tenders" are large, locally run, flat-bottomed boats that take you through an inlet to a small dock near the Puerto Angelmo fishing cove.

Smaller cruise ships can dock at the Public Dock inside Canal Tenglo.

Editor's note: If you look at a map of Chile, Puerto Montt almost looks as though it's landlocked in the middle of the country. Well, not quite, but it isn't on the Pacific Ocean, either. The city itself is at the edge of a huge estuary, Seno de Reloncavi, with a very narrow mouth to the ocean.


Puerto Montt Cruise Reviews
Emeral Lake Cruise, Petrohe Falls & Puerto Varas famous for its German traditions, where a great and delicious local lunch was served. Took our time to discover handicraft market. Read More
User Avatar
dvrichmond
So beautiful! We took an excursion to nearby Puerto Varas, so did not get to spend time in this actual port but everything was gorgeous.Read More
User Avatar
Catrichards
What was good about this port was not the port itself, but our tour called a “Symphony of Lakes and Volcanos.” Our bus first drove alongside Llanquihue Lake, the second largest lake in Chile, (it is huge) to PetrohueRead More
User Avatar
MostlyLegal
Took a shore excursion to a waterfall with views of volcanos plus visit to a German architecture lake townRead More
User Avatar
TallBlindGuy

Related Cruises

Cruises to Virgin Gorda

Cruises to Virgin Gorda

77 Reviews
Cruises to Fanning Island

Cruises to Fanning Island

14 Reviews
Cruises to Montreal

Cruises to Montreal

94 Reviews
Cruises to Amsterdam

Cruises to Amsterdam

1,057 Reviews
Cruises to Rouen

Cruises to Rouen

121 Reviews
Cruises to Saint John (New Brunswick)

Cruises to Saint John (New Brunswick)

449 Reviews
Cruises to Gdansk (Warsaw)

Cruises to Gdansk (Warsaw)

120 Reviews
Cruises to Marseille

Cruises to Marseille

936 Reviews
Cruises to Izmir

Cruises to Izmir

187 Reviews
Cruises to Adelaide

Cruises to Adelaide

106 Reviews
Cruises to Lima

Cruises to Lima

110 Reviews
Cruises to Rangiroa

Cruises to Rangiroa

30 Reviews
Cruises to Positano (Amalfi)

Cruises to Positano (Amalfi)

87 Reviews
Cruises to Buzios

Cruises to Buzios

27 Reviews
Cruises to Hakodate

Cruises to Hakodate

26 Reviews
Cruises to Picton

Cruises to Picton

165 Reviews
Cruises to Speyer

Cruises to Speyer

48 Reviews
Cruises to Bernkastel-Kues

Cruises to Bernkastel-Kues

37 Reviews
Cruises to Kinderdijk

Cruises to Kinderdijk

8 Reviews
Cruises to Dawson City (Yukon)

Cruises to Dawson City (Yukon)


Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.