By air: the closest airport is Tepual (PMC), 25 kilometres south near Puerto Montt. Daily flights connect to Santiago in a little under two hours; less frequent flights to Punta Arenas. From the airport, taxis and minibuses to Puerto Varas cost around US$25.
By bus: long-distance buses from Santiago take 12 to 14 hours overnight; from Puerto Montt, frequent local buses take half an hour. The bus terminal is on the lakefront, a short walk from the centre.
By car: Ruta 5 (the Pan-American Highway) runs straight through the region. Puerto Varas is signposted just before Puerto Montt coming from the north.
By boat: the Cruce Andino lake-crossing route arrives by ferry from Bariloche in Argentina, an iconic day's journey via three lakes and three short bus rides.