Robinson Crusoe Island
Robinson Crusoe Island is a special place. There is something about it that captures our imagination, makes us slow down, absorb the atmosphere, and not want to leave when the time comes. It doesn’t have many tourist-oriented places, nor fancy gift shops, upscale shopping, or elegant hotels and homes. You can still see the ongoing restoration of the damage done by the 2010 tsunami. You can also see the most beautiful peaks and valleys, lush foliage, and unique flowers. Life moves at a slow pace here, and it is wonderful.
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What they do have here are Juan Fernandez lobsters — or, to be more precise, huge crayfish weighing multiple pounds. They catch and export tons of them, and we were lucky enough to enjoy one — big, juicy, and boiled fresh from the ocean — along with the most delicious pisco sours, French fries, and a side of perfectly grilled octopus. Heaven! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Robinson Crusoe is part of the three-island Juan Fernandez archipelago, a special territory of Chile. It is believed to have inspired the novel of the same name, based on the experiences of Alexander Selkirk, who was marooned on the island for four years in the early 1700s. The island has only one town, San Juan Bautista, where most of the 800 residents live.
We were fortunate to have the only group tour on the ship, organized by our amazing Cruise Specialists Shore Excursion Manager, Heather Visser. Twenty-four guests ventured ashore with us for a walking tour of the village. We saw all the significant sites: the remnants of Fort Santa Barbara, the Patriots’ Caves, the San Juan Bautista Cemetery, the wreck of the German ship Dresden from World War I, and an unexpected extra visit to the island’s Ecological Center and Botanical Gardens, where we met with the head botanist.
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Our final stop was at the Refugio Nautico Ecolodge, an expanded version of the small guesthouse we remembered. Our group was treated to terrific pisco sours at Lord Anson Restaurant, which, after the tour, became the setting for our indulgent lobster and octopus feast mentioned earlier.
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A few of us decided the lobsters looked too good, the afternoon had become too beautiful, and it was our duty to help the local economy. So, we stayed for that wonderful lunch.
One of our guests was sitting on a park bench, smiling and just watching the water. She said, “I’m loving this.” We knew what she meant.
Puerto Montt
Next, we arrived at Puerto Montt, the gateway to the Lakes District — known for its beautiful towns with a German flair, majestic volcanoes, and, of course, the lakes.
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Forty-two of our Cruise Specialists guests chose to join us for an eight-hour tour that would give us a good look at the natural beauty of this area. We started at Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park for a scenic walk to Petrohué Falls. While it’s more of a series of raging rapids than a waterfall, it’s still dramatic, with an easy and scenic walk.
Wherever you go in this area, a view of the many volcanoes is never far away. The most famous is Osorno, often called the Mount Fuji of South America.
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Puerto Varas
Called the "City of Roses" for the abundant rose bushes planted throughout town, Puerto Varas sits on the shore of Lake Llanquihue — a massive 336-square-mile lake and the second-largest in Chile. Here, we had time to stroll the waterfront, watch the local festival dancers performing around town, and browse the many interesting shops.
Lunch was at a small, local hotel where we were the only group — a wonderful treat considering how many tourists were in town. Our welcome pisco sours were delicious, and lunch was a mix of Chilean and German dishes, with the kuchen for dessert being a particular highlight. They also served some very nice wines, which were much appreciated by our thirsty and hungry group.
Frutillar
Then we moved on to the equally scenic town of Frutillar, also on Lake Llanquihue, but a 40-minute drive away. We were privileged to have an exclusive guided visit to Teatro del Lago, a truly spectacular theater and concert hall that hosts an annual musical event called Frutillar Weeks. This theater is built out over the water, offering a stunning view of Osorno Volcano.
Every aspect of its construction contributes to the acoustics — massive concrete columns form the foundation, while beautiful wood panels adorn the exterior. It was a remarkable final stop on our tour.
Chile and Peru have an ongoing battle over who makes the best pisco sours. In a totally nonscientific experiment, having had two now in each country, we choose Chile as the winner. They simply taste better and seem less alcoholic. But both are equally potent. We will continue taste testing if opportunities are presented.
Isle of Chiloé
The third tender port in a row was Castro, on the Isle of Chiloé. Our Holland America Cruise Director, Daniel, provided a list of top places to visit here, as he does for most of our port stops.
We remember the palafitos — traditional houses on stilts, painted in bright colors, sitting out in the tidal waters. There are also many wooden churches, the most famous being the Church of San Francisco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Painted bright yellow and purple, it stands prominently in the main square.
The tours offered here included a long drive to the National Park or a shorter exploration of the town’s churches. Having visited at least four times before, we decided to make this a rest day and stayed on board. We still took in the beautiful views all around us as we walked several laps around the Promenade Deck.
Puerto Chacabuco
In Puerto Chacabuco, our next port down the coast, you can go fly fishing, horseback riding, kayaking, or simply enjoy the natural beauty of the Patagonia region of Chile. Snow-covered peaks surrounded us, and temperatures had started to drop into the 50s.
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Chacabuco is a very small town, and arriving on a Sunday, it was especially quiet. The larger town of Aysén is about eight miles away, but having been there before, we simply walked up and down the few main streets.
Daniel’s list here was shorter. The highlights were a modern, upscale hotel on the edge of town and a beautiful park in the center of town with pleasant paths and seating areas.
We will be entering a stunningly beautiful area in the next few days. So much more to come!
Fondly,
Wendy and Steve
Continue Reading:
A Bon Voyage! | Costa Rica & Panama | Ecuador and Northern Peru | Wendy's Adventures in Peru | Steve's Adventure in Machu Picchu | Arica and San Antonio, Chile | Robinson Crusoe & Southern Chile | More Chile & Argentina | Antarctica | Falkland Islands | Montevideo & Punta del Este | Brazil | The Amazon | Salvation Islands | Arriving in Africa | Canary Islands & Morocco | Gibraltar and Barcelona | Spain & Portugal | France, Belgium and The Netherlands | Scotland and Norway | More Norway | Iceland | Greenland | Canada & New England | Voyage Summary
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