Waiting in Puerto Varas: an adventure between a Unimog break, volcano views and good food
We have been stranded in Puerto Varas for over two months now – and the wait for our Unimog „Mambo“ is slowly turning into a real chapter of our journey. The Unimog is still in the workshop in Llanquihue and is unfortunately still not quite ready. But there is light at the end of the tunnel: thanks to our Jana and Jens, all the spare parts finally arrived last week and the workshop has promised us that our faithful companion will soon be fit again.
But what do you do for so long in Puerto Varas? We can tell you: A lot!
Our temporary home: Cabana in a perfect location
To make the waiting time as pleasant as possible, we rented a cozy cabana not far from the highway. Perfect for getting to Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt quickly by Uber – both towns are only about 10-15 minutes away. There is also enough space in front of the house for our Unimog when we get it back.
Culinary highlights in Puerto Varas
Of course, we also use the time to indulge in culinary delights. Here are our favorite spots that we can highly recommend:
Café Flora: Our absolute favorite for coffee and cake! Fran, the owner, conjures up heavenly treats – you can also find her on Instagram at @café_flora.
Fuente Gaucha: Who would have thought that you could eat really good burgers in Puerto Varas? Juicy, creative and definitely worth a visit – you can find them on Instagram at @lafuentegaucha
Cambalache: For all seafood lovers – the fish here was a real highlight – click here for their homepage
A piece of Germany in Chile?
What surprised us in Puerto Varas were the city’s many German roots. Many street names are German, there is a German association and several bakeries with German specialties. But still: speak German? Not a chance. Even when asked, the waiter just shook his head vehemently. So it’s better to use Spanish or Google Translate – unfortunately, English doesn’t get you very far here.
Cooking & experimenting - Recreating Spanish specialties
During the long wait, we also explored the region’s cuisine. Monika even tried her hand at Spanish recipes – cazuela de ossobuco, a hearty stew, was a complete success!
Overlander community - Special encounters
One particularly nice aspect during our stay was visiting other travelers. In fact, we even had another Unimog and other impressive motorhomes parked outside our door! The Overlander community always impresses us: people help each other, share stories and spend unforgettable moments together.
We particularly remember the cozy evenings around the open fire, where we shared travel stories and philosophized about future adventures. Another real highlight was that we were even invited to Thanksgiving dinner – a wonderful experience that once again showed how warm and supportive this community is.
Not just waiting: working and everyday life as a digital nomad
As many of you know, we earn our money as digital nomads and work from anywhere. Our time in Puerto Varas was therefore not only characterized by waiting for our Unimog, but also by productive working days.
In addition to the creative fine-tuning of our Mambo on Tour website, some of the less popular tasks were also on the agenda – first and foremost bookkeeping. Admittedly, bookkeeping is of course more fun when you’re not sitting on a fantastic pitch with a view of a volcano. But the time here gave us the opportunity to take care of such things in peace while we waited for Mambo to be repaired.
Even though the wait for Mambo can sometimes be nerve-wracking, we had a wonderful time in Puerto Varas. The mixture of nature, good food, inspiring encounters and special events makes this place something very special.
And who knows – perhaps it is precisely this deceleration that ultimately gives us the most valuable memories.