Welcome on Board

Visitors to Frutillar search to enjoy a swim hole away from the hustle and bustle of the city, lured by the quietness, the large beaches of black sand and its cultural life. In addition to this scene, they have the chance to go on a majestic navigation tour on board one of its boats: El Colono. We had caught a glimpse of this emblematic vessel going across the waters of the Llanquihue on several occasions, as we relaxed by the shore. Its absolute white hues and serenity impressed us to such an extent that we wished to see it from a close distance. That is why we went to the Yacht Club. Moored at the pier, we observed every detail in is structure and were invited to go on an outing. We made arrangements to leave on the following day. Once we were on its deck and everything was ready, we set out on the spotless surface of the lake. There was no wind and the sky was clear. A perfect crossing was guaranteed.

The first thing to catch our attention was the fact that its engines were almost silent. Sailing very close to the shore, we had a general view of Frutillar. It was quite different from the one we already knew. Everything changed shape and the Teatro del Lago, for instance, looked larger, more imposing and we even discovered its glass tower, which we had not noticed before. The huge wooden houses on Phillipi Avenue, which once lodged the first colonists and then were turned into hotels, restaurants and tea houses, showed off their features from this new position. That was the historical and cultural Frutillar. Yet, there was another one to discover. We observed the thriving Frutillar projecting urban developments that will preserve the essence of a town in order to live quietly and in turn to continue attracting tourists. As we went past Patagonia Virgin Resort, we had a preview of that spirit, given that the native wood will be planted again. It has a pier of its own and beautiful summer houses. After spending some time on deck, we went inside El Colono and discovered two areas with ample armchairs. One of them featured a large window overlooking the outside and the other one had a bar where brunch and beverages were served. The coziness of the wood and the fabrics that make up this environment invited us to make ourselves comfortable while the movement of the boat was barely perceived. We talked to one member of the crew and learned some data about its construction: “It is 2 meters long and it has sailed these waters since early in 2008, when the so-called Cofradía Náutica de Frutillar set the aim of rescuing the essence of the traffic the colonists once kept on the lake for a very long time”. Looking through the windows, we found ourselves right in front of the already familiar Osorno Volcano and its classic cloud around the summit. We returned to the Yacht Club feeling refreshed and having a lot to tell about this lake outing that cleared our body and our mind.