I have decided to go with my husband to Chile and Argentina in December we want to do the Lake Crossing staying in Puerto Mont and Bariloche and then going down to el Calafate for the glaciers.
First we are thinking of Santiago and Valparaiso (or Vina del Mar?)
We want to know if Puerto Mont is worth it and where to go if we want to have a car around before doing the crossing, Pucon maybe?
After we do El Calafate, we want to try a beach in our way to BsAs we have heard lots about Punta del Este... any advise?

We are a young couple in our late 20 and we want to balance some city, nature and nice beaches.
Please.. need some advise, anything would be apreciated.

How many days do you have?

We are planning 16 days

Once in Chile which beach would you recomend... Viña del Mar or Valparaiso. Or maybe I should wait for the beaches of Punta del Este or Mar del Plata in Argentina

Valparaiso is a port, so I wouldn't recommend it. Viña del Mar has nice beaches, but water here is cold... I think you should wait for Punta del Este or some beach in Brazil...

Maybe this thread is useful to you:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35015073

markalito:

Vina del Mar was very pleasant. We did not go into the water but walked the town. Valpariso is a port and while it was great [at one time before the Panama canal] for shipping, it is not a vacation spot.

Puerto Montt is also a port and even more grubby than Valpariso. Look into Puerto Varas, a few km away and a great tourist spot. Again, we were not in the water but saw children playing in the water. The town is a very pleasant tourist visit.

Pucon was also quit charming and friendly. Lots of views of steaming volcano.

Have a good one.

woodie

Thanks for your response... so Viña del Mar it is, anyway I will definitly check Puerto Varas and Punta del Este.

btt

Sure Puerto Montt is interesting, particularly Angelmo, but include Puerto Varas and if possible ialso Chiloe. No problem in renting a car in any reasonably large place.

Punta del Este is in Uruguay, north of Buenos Aires. December is high season in both Chile and Argentina so try to book things in advance.

Vina del Mar has a wonderful beach and many people were in the water when we were there in Dec. many years ago. Be careful in the sun there since it is very direct then, and even under beach umbrellas and with sunscreen, it is very easy to get a sunburn. BsAs offers a wide variety attractions, but beaches are not high on the list. It is a fascinating, great, fun, international city.

Is Puerto Montt worth to stay for a couple of nights or Puerto Varas is a better option. We are planing on the lake crossing, so I don´t know if staying there is worth it or instead we should do the overnight crossing?
What would you say...

Stay in Puerto Varas, much more charming, think swiss town. Puerto Montt (where we stayed) was very industrial. When we stopped in Puerto Varas the next day to pick up people for the lake crossing all I kept thinking of was why didn't we stay here!

We did the crossing all in one day. We met friends who did the two day, spending the night in Puella, they hated it. The hotel (we ate lunch there) was so, so and not much to do on the island. Even though the one day crossing is a long day, it is a fabulous experience.

We stayed at the Llao Llao when we arrived, which is right across the street from the pier you arrive at.

This was one of the highlights of our trip.

Hi Markalito, do the crossing in one day. For beaches Punta del Este is tops. Argentineans, Brazileans, and latins from all over go there whenever they can do it. It is a very nice place you will love. A car is almost a must in Punta. Puerto Varas is nicer than Puerto Mont although both cities are very near and you can easily take little vans for a one dollar fare that join both cities all they long.
For doing the Lake Crossing a good day makes a big difference so watch the weather report in Chile and try to choose a nice day to it.

Thank you all for the great advise!! I think I will make up an intinerary with hotels and ask for your opinions until then.
Thanks again!