Valdivia: Craft beers and sea lions

Right in the heart of the chilean lake district – where the waters of the river Cruces meet the river Calle Calle – quietly sits the city of Valdivia. This laid-back destination might not offer exciting activities for more than a couple of days but surely is the right place to visit for nature and craft-beer lovers.

From lovely cafes offering homemade snacks to riverside stands cooking dozens of shrimp empanadas (rivaling even the crazy tasty peruvian cuisine) – you will find it hard not to try all of these delicacies. Whether you’re heading up north to the cities or down south to Patagonia, this stop should be on your list!

Things to do

Fish Market – Right on the river banks of the street Costanera Arturo Prat, there’s a daily fish & veggies market selling plenty of fresh goods. Even if you don’t like markets, make sure to swing by to see the massive sleepy sea lions waiting for their breakfast! Something you don’t see everyday! Here’s also where you can book a boat tour (keep reading).

Parque Prochelle – Just across the bridge Pedro de Valdivia, opposite side of the fish market, there’s the university cultural campus and along with it Parque Prochelle. On top of having a relaxed stroll around the park, you can also visit the History & Anthropology Museum, Contemporary Art Museum and Exploration Museum.

Local beer breweries – The city is also renown across chile for having some of the best craft breweries of the country. Apart from the famous Kunstmann brewery (located right on the city’s outskirts on the road to Niebla), there are also several other breweries two of which located in calle Los Alerces and calle Los Tilos. If you like tasting very little known craft beers then let you head by blown off at the bar/pub Ultima Frontera!

Botanical Garden – After some fruity beer tasting, just 5min from the above-mentioned craft breweries (and along the riverside), there are the Botanical Gardens of Valdivia which are a great stop for a relaxed walk.

Boat tours – The major tourist attraction of the city are boat tours. Small tourist operators next to the fish market generally offer three kinds of tours: (1) Short 1h ride in the surroundings of Isla Teja, (2) Medium 4h ride & visit of the natural reserves in Punacapa and (3) Long 6h ride with dinner included to visit the port town of Corral. If you have to choose, make sure to do the first one (don’t pay more than 5000CLP/p)!

LOCAL TIP: Get to the top of the Dreams Hotel, where the Sky Bar is, to enjoy the best views of Valdivia!

Fort of Niebla

Niebla and Corral

If you plan spending sometime in Valdivia, or at least more than day, a great day-out option is to head over to Niebla and Corral. Built by the spanish long time ago, these port towns acted as control points over the waters of the Rio Valdivia leading ships in or out the city.

While both towns are just pretty villages with a decent fortress, in Niebla there’s something more. Every weekend, at an old wooden building which used to be the local market, is organised the Feria Costumbrista. There are folklore shows, local music, events but more importantly you’ll get a chance to sample a great variety of tasty sea-dishes famous across the country.

Getting there: The easiest way to get to Niebla is to hop on the n°20 bus – has a stop in calle O’Higgins corner with calle Carampangue – and then just hop down at the Fortaleza (free entrance) de Niebla after a short 10-15min ride. For those wishing to visit Corral, make sure go down at the Niebla ferry port where you can take a short 20min ferry over the river for 6000CLP.

PLANNING A TRIP TO PATAGONIA? CHECK MORE POSTS BELOW!