Puerto Montt is a port city in southern Chile, often referred to as the gateway to Patagonia. Sitting on a calm bay with the Andes Mountains and snow-capped volcanoes on the horizon, it connects the rest of Chile to the wild southern frontier.
If you love nature and scenic drives, renting a car makes it more enjoyable, and you will feel at home here. Puerto Montt offers easy access to lakes, fjords, and national parks, making it a dream destination for nature lovers. Its open roads and long highways also appeal to road trip enthusiasts seeking adventure. The atmosphere is friendly and laid-back, making it easy to explore and enjoy the city.
A Puerto Montt road trip is one of the best ways to experience the landscapes and the untamed beauty of southern Chile. With affordable long-term car rental at El Tepual International Airport, you can take on open roads framed by snow-capped volcanoes, deep blue lakes, and wild Patagonian scenery.
Puerto Montt sits at a natural crossroads between central Chile and the rugged south, making it the ideal starting point for a road trip. The city is a key transportation and commercial hub thanks to its strategic position at the edge of Chile’s populated heartland and the beginning of Patagonia’s wild frontier.
Geographically, Puerto Montt is uniquely positioned. It marks the southern end of the Pan-American Highway and the northern gateway of the legendary Carretera Austral. This 1,240-kilometre route winds deep into Patagonia’s mountains, forests, and fjords. This makes it the last major urban stop before the landscape transitions into untouched wilderness.
If you’re arriving by air or bus, Puerto Montt offers seamless access to the outdoors. Its international airport, large bus terminal, and bustling ferry docks allow travellers to launch into exploration immediately. From here, you can drive south along the Carretera Austral, sail through dramatic fjords toward Puerto Natales, or take short ferry crossings to nearby islands.
No matter which direction you choose, Puerto Montt rewards you with scenic drives. To the north and east, volcano-lined routes curve around deep blue lakes, offering some of the most iconic views in southern Chile. Drive around Lake Llanquihue, where you’re treated to constant vistas of the perfectly shaped Osorno Volcano. Along the way, numerous viewpoints and pull-offs invite you to stop, admire the reflections of snow-capped peaks in the water, and capture photos.
If you head west or south, the landscape shifts dramatically as the roads trace the coastline. Here, you’ll enjoy panoramic ocean views overlooking Reloncaví Sound and the Gulf of Ancud. The drive winds past tiny fishing villages, small harbors dotted with colorful boats, and gently rising forested hills inland. There are countless places to pause, breathe in the salty breeze, and photograph rocky shores with distant islands on the horizon.
Nature in Puerto Montt features towering volcanoes, vast lakes, and dramatic fjord-like waterways. The city is located on the Reloncaví Sound, a northern Patagonian fjord where the Andes meet the sea. Within view rise several iconic volcanoes, including Osorno, famous for its perfect cone, and Calbuco, a powerful giant known for its recent eruptions. Just north lies Lake Llanquihue, Chile’s second-largest lake, while countless rivers and smaller lakes complete this richly diverse landscape.
The scenery around Puerto Montt is nothing short of spectacular. On clear days, the snow-capped silhouettes of Osorno and Calbuco tower over the rolling green hills and deep blue waters below. Along the coastline, the Reloncaví Sound stretches out like a true fjord. It is framed by steep mountain walls, dotted with waterfalls, and occasionally visited by dolphins or sea lions.
A short drive brings you to the shores of Lake Llanquihue, where multiple volcanoes reflect perfectly in its crystal-clear water, creating postcard-worthy views at every turn. Another nearby treasure is Todos los Santos Lake, renowned for its emerald-green color and tucked deep into the Andes near Osorno Volcano.
One of the biggest advantages of staying in Puerto Montt is how quickly you can reach pristine wilderness. The region is surrounded by national parks and reserves. So, outdoor activities in Puerto Montt are never more than a short drive away. Within under two hours, you can be hiking through ancient forests, exploring waterfalls, or standing at the foot of a snow-capped volcano.
Just east of the city is Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, Chile’s oldest protected area. It spans more than 2,500 km² of Andean landscapes and is famous for the Petrohué Waterfalls, views of Osorno Volcano, and the emerald waters of Todos los Santos Lake. Well-marked trails and scenic lookouts make it easy to enjoy a full day of adventure.
To the south, about an hour’s drive from Puerto Montt, you’ll find Alerce Andino National Park, home to some of the world’s oldest living trees. Its ancient alerce forests boast giants over 2,000 years old. They create a mystical atmosphere of moss-covered trunks, misty trails, and rich birdlife. It’s one of Patagonia’s most enchanting hiking destinations.
You can also expand your explorations by taking a ferry to Chiloé Island, where Chiloé National Park protects deep temperate rainforests teeming with unique species found nowhere else. Closer to town, reserves such as Llanquihue National Reserve near Calbuco Volcano and Lahuen Ñadi Natural Monument are great for leisurely walks through wetlands and evergreen forests.
Puerto Montt is ideal for day excursions and serves as the perfect launching point for longer adventures. A Puerto Montt road trip lets you plan a multi-day or multi-week journey. One of the best routes is the Carretera Austral, a highway that begins in Puerto Montt and winds through remote valleys, fjords, glaciers, and tiny Patagonian towns.
Depending on your pace, this adventure can take anywhere from one to three weeks. Along the way, short ferry crossings through spectacular waterways transform the drive into a seamless land-and-sea expedition. Every segment offers turquoise rivers, hanging glaciers, dense forests, and snow-tipped mountains.
Another rewarding option is designing a loop between Chile and Argentina. From Puerto Montt, you can head east across the Andes into Argentina’s Lake District, visiting destinations like Bariloche or San Martín de los Andes. After exploring Argentina’s Seven Lakes Route, you can re-enter Chile via a different mountain pass and complete a full circuit back to Puerto Montt. In these routes, you can experience two countries, multiple climates, and various landscapes.
Puerto Montt also connects to ferry ports leading to places like Chiloé or Chaitén. Before heading into Patagonia’s remote regions, the city is a great place to stock up on supplies, rent a reliable vehicle, and gather local tips.
Puerto Montt’s waterfront location gives travellers easy access to dramatic coastlines, fjords, and nearby islands. It is perfect if you want to combine road travel with scenic ferry crossings. Just offshore lies the Chiloé Archipelago. This region is a maze of channels, peninsulas, and forested shores, offering endless opportunities for coastal drives, wildlife encounters, and exploring small towns.
From Puerto Montt, it’s only about an hour’s drive to the Pargua ferry terminal, where frequent ferries make the short crossing to Chiloé. During the ride, you can stand on deck and watch for dolphins, sea lions, and seabirds as you glide across the Chacao Channel. Once you arrive, Chiloé reveals its charm through rolling green landscapes, quiet bays, traditional wooden houses, and fishing villages. Many travellers also stop for fresh seafood, wander wild Pacific beaches, or join boat trips to see penguin colonies offshore.
Closer to Puerto Montt, the mainland coast offers its own rewards. You’ll find small fishing coves, forest-lined beaches, and scenic viewpoints along the Reloncaví Sound. A short boat ride from the city takes you to Tenglo Island, where a hilltop cross provides panoramic views of Puerto Montt’s bay and the surrounding volcanoes. In the South of the city, the Carretera Austral adds more island adventure, with ferry crossings built right into the highway.
One of the greatest pleasures of exploring the Puerto Montt region is how uncrowded and peaceful it is compared to other parts of Patagonia. While destinations like Torres del Paine receive hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, the Lake District around Puerto Montt is far less crowded.
Because Puerto Montt is a working city, rather than a purely tourist hub, the surrounding attractions are pleasantly quiet. When you visit a waterfall, viewpoint, or volcano trail, you might encounter only a handful of other hikers. These are often Chilean families, backpackers, or local travellers. Trails in places like Alerce Andino National Park or the Cochamó Valley are beautifully serene. You can walk for hours hearing mostly birdsong, rivers, and wind rather than busy chatter.
Even popular spots such as Petrohué Falls or lake viewpoints around Llanquihue have peaceful windows of time, especially early in the morning or outside high summer. Hidden gems like the Cochamó Valley, famous for its Yosemite-like granite walls, only receive a fraction of Patagonia’s typical crowd levels.
Puerto Montt truly is an ideal destination for both nature lovers and road trippers. It gives you the flexibility for an adventure, whether that’s leisurely exploring lakes and volcanoes or embarking on a multi-week drive through Patagonia. You’ll be treated to spectacular scenery at every turn, from coastal fjords to towering peaks. In Puerto Montt, you can wake up to the sound of the ocean, spend your day on the open road or trekking a mountain path, and end the evening dining on fresh seafood.
Rent a car in Puerto Montt with Final Rentals and start your journey from El Tepual International Airport. With transparent pricing and easy online booking, you can plan your Puerto Montt road trip easily. Choose a fuel-efficient car for scenic lake drives or an SUV for Patagonia’s rugged routes. Book, manage, and enjoy your car rental at any time. Download the Final Rentals app on Google Play and the App Store.
