Museo Pablo Fierro caught our attention so we stopped to check out the eclectic museum.
Pablo Fierro, a fine arts painter of antique buildings, owns the building. His paintings were all over the museum.
There were a wide range of ‘exhibits’. We liked the view of the lake from the upstairs window.
As we walked we saw Andean gulls, which are called gaviotas capuchón cafe in Spanish. They are named after the Capuchin Friars who wore brown hoods.
Blooming Chilean Fire Bushes near our hotel were filled with black-chinned siskins eating the blossoms.
They were joined by white-crested elaenias who were also eating. It felt like spring and the air was fresh and cool.
Day 1: Puerto Varas to Puerto Octay, 65 km with 757 meters of elevation gain
We were excited to ride!
We met Günter and Connie, a lovely couple from Germany, as we tested out our bikes.
The ride first went around part of Llanquihue Lake. We stopped to check out this sculpture.
It was cloudy and cool as we rode.
We hadn’t ridden since August, so it felt great to be back on bikes and seeing South American sights as we rode.
For lunch we stopped in Frutillar Bajo. The group had arrived early, so we had time to walk along the lake. We loved the colorful wooden exterior of Teatro del Lago. The theater is large enough for an audience of 1,200.
We saw lots of black-faced ibises as we walked. In Spanish they are called bandurrias. Their birdsong sounds like they are laughing, so we enjoyed hearing them too.
When we arrived at our accommodations for the night, we saw an ibis on the roof. Throughout the tour we continued to see black-faced ibises every day.
Inside the hostal was an ibis made from a pinecone.
There was still plenty of daylight, so we walked around Puerto Octay, a tiny little town. We thought this was the most interesting building, which reflects the architectural style of the German immigrants who settled here.
The lilac trees were blooming and it smelled wonderful.
Day 2: Puerto Octay to Orsono Volcano, 70 km with 1,793 meters
We dressed for the cool temperatures and set off pedaling.
After about 20 kms we stopped to take a break. Kristina tried yerba mate, an herbal tea that is popular in South America and especially in Argentina. She really liked the bitter taste.
At lunch and met Matt and Alaina, a newly engaged couple from Ft Collins, Colorado who were on a cycling tour around Lake Llanquihue. They told us how the day before Matt had dropped a knee, showed her the ring and proposed to Alaina, which was a complete surprise to her.
We wished them happiness and set off. The landscapes in Chile were so green, reflecting how much it rains here, and we saw cows grazing as we rode.
We spotted this Chilean gray fox as we headed up to the Osorno Volcano. He was not shy, so we think that people have probably fed him in the past.
After riding 60 kilometers the road went up 1,100 meters over 12 kilometers. At this point Kristina opted to ride up in the support van.
Pete chose to ride. It took him an hour and 45 minutes, and it was the hardest 12 kilometers he has ever ridden! Kristina snapped his photo as he reached the Orsono Volcano summit, tired but elated.
A few hours later we watched the sun set. There were lots of clouds, so the colors were glorious.
Day 3: Orsono Volcano to Puella, 29 km with 221 meters
We awoke to clearer skies and nice views of the volcano. We spent the morning exploring the summit.
The winter ski resort was closed but the welcome snowman was still on duty.
Günter and Connie joined us for a hike across the frozen summit.
There were patches of beautiful ice crystals.
After lunch we put on our cycling clothes and rode down, stopping to enjoy the views and take photos.
It was considerably warmer after the long descent, and we had fun riding with the other cyclists on the tour.
We took a boat across Lago Todos Los Santos with all our luggage and bikes. The Osorno Volcano looked like a small Mt Fuji as we looked back.
Around the lake were waterfalls, but this was the largest waterfall we saw on the 90 minute ride.
We landed at Puerto Peulla and rode a few kilometers to our hotel.
After showering we strolled around the lovely grounds, enjoying all the blossoms like these rhododendrons.
We saw a sign pointing to the Veil of the Bride waterfall.
So we continued along the path and crossed the river.
And were rewarded with this sight.
Hanging around the hotel were several crested caracaras. Pete was able to get this close photo when a hotel guest threw him a piece of meat.
Day 4: Puella to Puerto Blest, 38 km with 1,202 meters
The next morning was cloudy and cool as we headed to the Argentinian border.
The route was all on gravel roads that were challenging. Kristina is at the top of a killer climb of 700 meters over seven kilometers that took her 90 minutes. We were surprised to see patches of snow at the top.
At the top of the climb we crossed into the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park.
We rode down the other side to Puerto Frías, and yes it was cold there.
We loaded our bikes and bags onto the boat and took a short ride to Puerto Blest.
Puerto Blest is located within a national park named Nahuel Huapi.
After showering we bundled up and walked around the beautiful park. Nahuel Huapi is the oldest national park in Argentina.
The next morning was sunny, so we revisited the places to see them in the nice light. These ashy-headed geese were enjoying the sunshine too.
Behind Pete is Lago Nahuel Huapi. The scenery was fantastic, with majestic, snow-capped mountains towering over glacial lakes and rivers.
Here's a look at the lodge where we had stayed as the boat pulled away from the dock.
We took a different boat to Bariloche. We were still in Nahuel Huapi National Park, which has more than 7,000 square kilometers (two million square acres).
This kelp gull followed the boat, hoping for some snacks.
While staying in Bariloche we had a rest day. We climbed up to Cerro Campanario with Connie and Günter. We got lucky with the weather and the views of Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi at the top were spectacular.
This chimango caracara was flying around the top of Cerro Campanario and it was great to watch him use the wind currents as he hunted for prey. The fresh-water Lake Nahuel Huapi behind him is up to 425 meters deep.
Behind us is Tronador, an extinct volcano on the Chilean border.
We rode the chair lift down, and this was Pete's view as we descended.
We met Connie and Günter for dinner at restaurant Vegetariano, and we all enjoyed the homemade, tasty vegetable dishes.
Day 6: Bariloche to San Martin de los Andes, 80 km with 1,422 meters
The next day we were back on the bikes and riding on the Seven Lakes Route, RN 40, the whole day.
Not all of the seven lakes are visible from the road, but we did see more than half of them. This is Lago Correntoso.
At this rest stop Pete got a photo of Kristina in her favorite Biciamo Oakland jersey and Günter in his Red Spokes Chile-Argentina jersey. Behind them are three cyclists from England: (from left) Pat, Paul and Zara.
Pete was happy to have a handlebar bag on his bike, so he could carry extra layers and his iPhone that was running a GPS app while we rode. Robert from Reno is behind him.
This is Lake Falkner. We thought the impressive granite peaks looked like a castle. We're giving a special shout out to our Colorado cousins who live near Castle Rock - we love you guys!
One of the prettiest lakes was Lácar so we stopped to take some photos.
As we pedaled around Lago Lácar we spotted the town of San Martin de los Andes in the distance.
And in the town of San Martin de los Andes we saw signs for Ruta 40 includes the Seven Lakes Route we had ridden that day.
On the tour we frequently spotted handsome southern lapwings. They are called queltehues in Spanish and the local name is 'tero' because their birdsong sounds like 'tero, tero, tero'.
Day 7: San Martin de los Andes to Choshuenco, 77 km with 1,362 meters
The weather was nice as we rode. Today's route was on gravel again. Although gravel is harder to ride on, we really enjoyed being away from traffic and seeing the rugged scenery.
After riding about 30 kilometers the group took a break for coffee and snacks.
Pete photographed this skull that was probably a cow.
We stopped for lunch on Lake Hua Hum. Hua Hum means low point in Mapuche, the indigenous language here.
Hua Hum was a good choice for crossing back into Chile, as it meant we had less climbing over the Andean border.
We crossed the border and rode a ferry for two hours. The clouds came in and the wind picked up as we went west.
The car ferry only holds ten cars and during low season it only makes the crossing once a day.
Day 8: Choshuenco to Pucón, 70 km with 1,330 meters
Kristina had bought a mate cup and our guide Geronimo cured it for her by putting yerba into it for several days. We learned that name yerba mate comes from Peru and is Quechuan for "container for a drink" and "gourd", which is what the mate cup is made of.
Pete enjoyed the downhills, hunching low to have minimal wind resistance and maximum momentum. (Günter took this photo and the next one.)
We shouted, "Photo bomb!" as we rode by Günter. Lake Panguipulli is behind us.
For our second rest day we went to the Quimeyco spa. This sign out front showed us we had arrived in the right place.
It was awesome to soak in their outdoor pools and enjoy views of the trees.
We always check out grocery stores in each country we visit. In Chile we noticed the PF brand of cured meats. Since these are Pete's initials, he gave a product endorsement of his favorites.
Day 9: Pucón to Cunco, 56 km with 861 meters
The day was cold and drizzly so we didn't take many photos. Kristina wore all her cycling clothes and was still a bit cold.
That afternoon we were happy to arrive at the ranch where we spent the night because they had a hot tub!
We stayed in a cozy cabaña, cabin. It rained all evening but we didn't mind because the cabin had a wood burning stove and it was toasty inside.
Day 10: Cunco to Conguillío National Park, 82 km with 1,257 meters
After all the rain the night before we felt so fortunate that the weather cleared before breakfast. The ranch had puppies and they hung out with us as we got ready to ride.
We rode through the town of Melipeuco that had some colorful street art.
Yerba mate is a popular drink all over South American, so it wasn't a surprise to see a mural about it.
This is our awesome guide Diego. Both he and Geronimo are from Bariloche, and they shared lots of cool info about the area and culture of northern Patagonia.
At the lunch stop guides Diego and Geronimo gave us a briefing about the next part of the ride.
This is Pat from England. She is 71 years old. We nicknamed her 'the silver bullet' because she is goes really fast down hill, even on gravel roads!
Then our group of nine riders pedaled towards the Conguillío National Park entrance.
The volcanic nature of the area quickly became obvious.
It was exciting to see the Llaima Volcano getting closer as we rode. This was only Günter's second cycling tour, and he really enjoyed it. We are hoping he and Connie will come ride with us in the US next summer.
Here's our cycling group inside the park with the Llaima Volcano behind us. The three cyclists on the left are Pat, Paul and Zara who are English, we are in the middle, Andrew is Canadian, Connie and Günter are German, and Robert is from Nevada.
The Conguillío National Park was diverse, and it was our favorite day of riding because of the incredible scenery.
We continued riding on the gravel road up to Lago Arcoiris, which was formed by a lava flow that created a dam that later filled with water.
The seven other riders headed to the lodge, but we continued riding into the araucaria araucana forest. The road changed from gravel to dirt, but it was still climbing up.
Araucaria araucana trees are more commonly called monkey-puzzle trees. They can live over 1,800 years.
They can grow as tall as 40 meters.
We rode to Lago Conguillío and stopped to enjoy the views.
Back towards the entrance of the park was Lago Verde.
We rode on a 2 km dirt path along Lago Verde that kept us off the gravel road and brought us to the lodge.
We stayed at La Baita Eco Lodge, a lovely place.
La Baita is owned and operated by Isabel Correa, a Chilean singer, who was very welcoming. This poster from one of her concerts was inside the lodge.
The wooden structures reminded us of Sea Ranch, and we felt right at home. Our room was the center one.
Inside was rustic but comfortable.
We ate several meals in the lodge. They served very good thin crust pizza.
We liked all the wood artworks on display.
They serve food in drinks in wooden bowls and cups.
The next morning we had time to hike around the lodge.
We liked their trail markers.
All too soon it was time to go. It was a fantastic cycling tour!
All too soon it was time to go. It was a fantastic cycling tour!
The total distance we rode was 593 kilometers with 10,753 meters of elevation gain. Here's a map of the route.
Next we fly to Santiago, Chile.
