6 Best Sights in Osorno, The Lake District

On the Pacific coast, about a three-hour drive from Osorno, is a network of indigenous parks spread over nine Huilliche communities amid 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) of pristine temperate rain forest. Overnight trips include a sail up the coast to visit a Huilliche settlement and the beautiful, white sand and turquoise waters of Condor Beach (www.caletacondorexpediciones.cl). The eight-person boat leaves from Bahía Mansa, but keep an eye on the weather as the boat won’t run if it’s really windy. Exploring the indigenous parks by land is a more intrepid trip. The Agencia de Turismo Mapu Lahual, which represents the Huilliche communities, offers three- to six-day programs that include trekking, horseback rides, and homestays (simple, basic accommodations) with descendants of the Huilliche. Nature lovers will appreciate the native alerce forest as you cross the Chilean Coastal Range, home to 30 different bird species and an equal number of mammals, including the Molina’s hog-nosed skunk, mountain monkeys, and pumas. 

An Osorno business executive's love for tailfins and V-8 engines led him to establish this auto museum in 1995. His particular passion is the little-respected Studebaker, which accounts for about half of the 140 vehicles on display. Elvis and Buddy Holly bop in the background.

This modern cathedral fronts the Plaza de Armas and is topped with a tower resembling a bishop's mitre. "Turn off your cell phone," the sign at the door admonishes those who enter. "You don't need it to communicate with God."

This museum contains a decent collection of Mapuche artifacts, Chilean and Spanish firearms, and exhibits devoted to the German settlement of Osorno. Housed in a pink neoclassical building dating from 1929, this is one of the few older structures in the city center.

The friendly people at the tourist office arrange free daily tours in summer. Each day has a different focus, including walks around the city, fruit orchards, or nearby farms.

Close to the city center, Cuarto Centenario Park was established in 1958 to celebrate the city's 400th anniversary. A popular picnic and recreation spot, the park is about 67,000 square meters in size and has bicycle paths, playgrounds, and lots of green space to escape the urban jungle. Among the more than 20 species in the small forest of the park are younger specimens of the ancient Sequoia trees native to California.