What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Puerto Montt, Chile.
Photo: ii7017 / Pixabay
Puerto Montt is a coastal city in Chile with about 169,736 residents. For visitors, life centres on the water. You can eat seafood at the Angelmó Fish and Craft Market, take a boat to Tenglo Island, or walk the Costanera Waterfront Promenade in the city centre. Pelluco suits couples who want dinner with sea views. Chinquihue is quieter and suits drivers who want nature. The best months to visit are January and February.
Plan one day for the city centre sights, Angelmó market and Tenglo Island. Each takes 2–3 hours or less. Add a full day for Alerce Andino National Park, east of the city, plus a few hours in Pelluco.
Angelmó
This busy harbour district west of the centre is the city's best-known sight. Stalls sell fresh fish, shellfish and wool crafts from Chiloé, and small upstairs restaurants serve local dishes such as curanto and seafood stews. Sea lions often wait by the fish stalls for scraps.
Angelmó
A short boat ride from the Angelmó pier takes you to this green island facing the city. You can walk up to a large cross on the hilltop for wide views over the bay, the port and, on clear days, the volcanoes.
City centre
This wooden church with a columned front stands on the main square, the Plaza de Armas. It is the oldest surviving building in the city and shows the timber building style of southern Chile.
City centre
The seafront walk runs along the Reloncaví Sound and links the centre with Angelmó. It is the easiest way to see the bay, the fishing boats and the city's public sculptures.
City centre
This large sculpture of a couple sitting and looking out to sea is on the waterfront near the centre. It has become a symbol of the city and a popular photo stop along the Costanera.
City centre
This monument on the waterfront remembers the German settlers who founded the city and farmed the lakes region. It helps explain the German names, houses and food you see across southern Chile.
City centre
Casa del Arte Diego Rivera is a cultural centre that hosts art exhibitions, theatre and concerts. Check what is on during your visit, as the programme changes.
Pelluco
This seaside neighbourhood east of the centre has a small beach and a strip of seafood restaurants and bars. It is a relaxed place for a walk and a meal by the water, especially at sunset.
East of Puerto Montt
This national park protects temperate rainforest with old alerce trees, some of the longest-living trees on Earth. Marked trails lead through forest to lakes and waterfalls. It rains often here, so bring waterproof clothing and good boots.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Sea temp | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best month: January | 18°C / 12°C | 11 days (80 mm) | 11.7 h/day | 17°C | 7.7/10 |
| Best month: February | 18°C / 12°C | 9 days (64 mm) | 10.9 h/day | 17°C | 8.2/10 |
| March | 17°C / 11°C | 12 days (118 mm) | 9.1 h/day | 14°C | 6.9/10 |
| April | 14°C / 9°C | 15 days (181 mm) | 7.0 h/day | 13°C | 5.0/10 |
| May | 12°C / 8°C | 19 days (211 mm) | 6.0 h/day | 11°C | 3.7/10 |
| June | 10°C / 6°C | 21 days (263 mm) | 4.9 h/day | 10°C | 2.4/10 |
| July | 10°C / 5°C | 20 days (233 mm) | 5.2 h/day | 9°C | 2.1/10 |
| August | 10°C / 5°C | 22 days (263 mm) | 6.1 h/day | 10°C | 2.7/10 |
| September | 12°C / 6°C | 19 days (166 mm) | 7.7 h/day | 10°C | 3.7/10 |
| October | 13°C / 7°C | 17 days (143 mm) | 9.0 h/day | 12°C | 4.5/10 |
| November | 15°C / 9°C | 16 days (139 mm) | 9.7 h/day | 13°C | 5.5/10 |
| December | 17°C / 11°C | 13 days (104 mm) | 11.2 h/day | 15°C | 6.8/10 |
Mild summer weather with highs of 18°C, lows of 12°C and 11.3 rain days. Long days with 11.7 sun hours. Score 7.7, rated best.
The top score of the year at 8.2. Highs of 18.3°C, the fewest rain days at 9.1 and the sea at 16.5°C.
Still good, scoring 6.9. Highs drop to 16.6°C, with 12.1 rain days and rainfall rising to 118 mm.
Rated ok, scoring 5. Highs of 14.4°C and 15.3 rain days as autumn rain builds to 181 mm.
Tough weather: 19 rain days and 211 mm of rain, highs of 12.4°C and just 6 sun hours. Low score of 3.7.
Cold and very wet: highs of 10.4°C, 21 rain days and 263 mm of rain, with only 4.9 sun hours. Score 2.4.
The lowest score, 2.1. The coldest month, with highs of 9.7°C and lows of 5.2°C, plus 20 rain days and 233 mm.
Still very wet, with the most rain days at 21.6 and 263 mm of rain. Highs of 10.4°C. Low score of 2.7.
Rain eases a little to 18.5 rain days and 166 mm. Highs of 11.5°C and 7.7 sun hours. Score 3.7, still low.
Rated ok at 4.5. Highs of 13°C and 17.3 rain days, but sun hours reach 9 as spring days lengthen.
Rated ok, scoring 5.5. Highs reach 15°C, with 15.8 rain days and 139 mm of rain. Sun hours climb to 9.7.
Good, scoring 6.8. Highs of 16.7°C, 12.7 rain days and 11.2 sun hours, with the sea warming to 15.3°C.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Chile →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for seafood lovers, markets, boat trips
This working fishing port west of the centre has the city's best-known seafood market, craft stalls and small boats across to Isla Tenglo. Staying here puts you next to cheap, fresh food and the sea. It is a working area with fish smells and heavy traffic by day, and it feels deserted after dark.
Good for couples, dining out, sea views
A seaside district east of the centre, with a pebbly beach and a strip of restaurants and bars along the coast road. It is more relaxed than downtown and livelier in the evenings, especially on weekends. You need a taxi or local bus to reach the centre, and summer weekends can bring music and noise late into the night.
Good for drivers, quiet, nature
A stretch of coast road beyond Angelmó to the west, facing the channel and Isla Tenglo, with seafood restaurants and a calmer, semi-rural feel. It suits travellers with a car who want water views and space. It is far from the centre, and there are few shops or services within walking distance.
Good for longer stays, local life
A residential area on the hills just above downtown, with guesthouses and views over the bay on clear days. It gives a sense of everyday life in the city while staying close to the centre. The streets are steep, and walking back up with bags in the frequent rain is hard work.
A large mix of shellfish, meat, sausage and potatoes, steamed together. Traditionally it is cooked in a pit in the ground. In Puerto Montt, most people eat the pot version, curanto en olla, at the small eateries of Angelmó.
A hot seafood soup with clams, mussels, fish and other shellfish, served in a clay bowl. Locals eat it for lunch at the seafood stalls and simple restaurants near the port.
A potato bread made from grated raw potato and mashed cooked potato, often with pork crackling inside. It comes from the island of Chiloé nearby. It is served with curanto or fried as a snack.
A soft dumpling made from potato and flour, boiled or cooked on top of curanto. Like milcao, it is part of the island food of the region and often shares the same plate.
Salmon baked with cheese, sausage, tomato and onion on top or inside. It reflects the salmon farming of the region and the German influence in southern Chile. Many local restaurants serve it.
A German-style fruit cake, often made with local berries, brought by German settlers to the lakes region. People eat it in the afternoon with coffee or tea, at home or in cafés.
Best: Apr, May, Oct, Nov
Best: Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec
Best: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov
February and January are the best months to visit Puerto Montt. February is the driest, with 9.1 rain days, 64 mm of rain and highs of 18.3°C. January is almost as warm at 18°C and has the most sunshine, with 11.7 hours a day. It has a little more rain, with 11.3 rain days.
July is Puerto Montt's coldest month and one of its wettest, so plan for grey, damp days. Highs reach only 9.7°C and lows drop to 5.2°C. There are 20 rain days and 233 mm of rain. You get just 5.2 hours of sunshine a day. June and August are wetter still, with 263 mm each. Pack waterproof layers if you visit in winter.
Yes, December is a good month in Puerto Montt, with long, bright days. Highs reach 16.7°C and lows 10.8°C. There are 11.2 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is moderate, with 12.7 rain days and 104 mm. March is similar, with highs of 16.6°C and 12.1 rain days, but it is wetter at 118 mm.
You can, but the water is cool all year. The sea is warmest in January at 16.8°C and in February at 16.5°C. By July it drops to 9.4°C. Summer is the only time most people would think about a short dip, for example at Pelluco.
Plan about 2 days in Puerto Montt. Spend 1 day in the city: Angelmó Fish and Craft Market (2–3 hours), Tenglo Island (2–3 hours) and the Costanera Waterfront Promenade (1–2 hours), plus the cathedral and Diego Rivera Arts House. Use the second day for Alerce Andino National Park, east of the city, which needs a full day.
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