Todos los Santos Lake, Lake in Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, Chile

Todos los Santos Lake is a large mountain lake nestled within Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, surrounded by peaks and volcanoes. The water stretches across a wide area and connects two main ports where boat services operate between the two countries.

The lake basin formed roughly 10,000 years ago when lava from nearby volcanoes blocked the valley and created a natural dam. This geological process shaped the landscape and eventually made it a passage point for travelers crossing between territories.

Jesuit missionaries who reached the lake in 1670 gave it the name Todos los Santos. In 1849 Benjamín Muñoz Gamero renamed it Esmeralda for its green water, and German colonists later used Lake Esmeralda. Both Todos los Santos and Esmeralda remain accepted today.

The two ports of Petrohué and Peulla offer the main access points for boat crossings with clear docking facilities. Weather conditions can change quickly on the water, so visitors should come prepared for shifting circumstances.

The water shifts between green, blue, and silver tones depending on the weather and time of day. These color changes happen because of how light interacts with minerals in the depths below.