Valdivia
ChileCsa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
La perla del sur | The pearl of the south
Why visit
Take a boat through the wetlands and the river system to the Spanish coastal forts at Niebla, Mancera, and Corral. Visit the riverfront Mercado Fluvial (where sea lions beg for fish scraps from fishermen), the Botanical Garden, and the historic Universidad Austral campus. Tour the Kunstmann Brewery for some of South America's best craft beer. The annual Noche Valdiviana (in February) features illuminated boats parading on the river. Sample German-Chilean cuisine: kuchen (cakes), curanto (a seafood-and-meat stew), and crudos (steak tartare). Day-trip to nearby national parks like Alerce Costero.
When to avoid
Valdivia is famously wet, it sees over 2,500 mm of rainfall a year, much of it concentrated in winter. May to August is gray and damp. Pack waterproof everything. Earthquakes are a real risk, the 1960 Valdivia Earthquake (magnitude 9.5) was the largest ever recorded. Don't drink tap water (it's safe but heavily mineralized). The university student population means cheap eats but also crowded buses. Petty pickpockets work the central market and bus station.
