Puerto Montt, Chile

Located on the northern tip of the vast Reloncavi Bay, Puerto Montt is the gateway to the Chilean Lake District. Crowding the harbor are vessels that ply the route between Cape Horn and Puerto Montt, finding shelter here from the storms of the Pacific.
The first German colonists arrived in this area in 1852; their descendants have remained a small but influential percentage of the 130,000 inhabitants.The town spreads along a narrow seaboard and climbs the slopes that enclose Puerto Montt to the north. Since 1985, the city has experienced considerable growth and development; there are more than 30 salmon farms, in addition to forestry, fishing industries and service companies, new hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops have opened. Puerto Montt itself offers scant attractions for visitors apart from shingle-roofed houses around a flowered central square. The main draw here is the proximity to the lake and mountain region, and spectacular fjord cruising.

A short distance from the pier is the small fishing port of Angelmo. Its row of stalls lining both sides of the street offers a wide variety of regional handicrafts and souvenir items.

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