Puerto Montt is where Chile's Lake District ends and Patagonia begins. Founded in 1853 by German settlers — you can still see their influence in the shingled wooden houses, steep-pitched roofs, and ornate balconies — the city has grown into the main transport hub for the entire south. If you are heading to Chiloé, the southern fjords, or anywhere in Chilean Patagonia, you will almost certainly pass through here.
The waterfront neighbourhood of Angelmó, about 2 km west of the centre, is worth an afternoon on its own. Fishing boats unload their catch at the docks while vendors sell king crab, sea urchin, and smoked fish from stalls beside an excellent handicraft market. The Costanera promenade connects Angelmo to the city centre and gives fine views across the bay to the Osorno volcano on clear days.
The centrepiece of the city's main plaza is the Cathedral of Puerto Montt, a structure built entirely of alerce wood — a native Patagonian cypress so dense it barely rots — dating from 1856. The nearby Museo Juan Pablo II covers the area's German colonisation, the indigenous Mapuche and Huilliche peoples, and the maritime heritage of the fjords.
Puerto Montt has ferry connections south to Puerto Natales and the Torres del Paine region — a spectacular multi-day sailing through channels, glaciers, and islands that is itself a highlight.