Whilst travelling, I love a destination with good wildlife spotting opportunities and a recent visit to Valdivia in Chile did not disappoint. To see enormous South American, or Patagonian Sea Lions, right in the middle of the city was unexpected, but very welcome. So, if you love wildlife, river cities, markets and craft breweries, then make Valdivia a stop on your road trip through the Chilean Lake District.
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Where is Valdivia?
Valdivia is the capital of the Los Ríos Region in Southern Chile. It is 162 km (200 miles) southwest of Temuco and took us 2.5 hours to drive from Pucon, our previous stop on our road trip through the Chilean Lake District.
The city of Valdivia is spread along the banks of three rivers – the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau rivers. As a result, its location made it a prime target for the Spanish who based themselves here for 200 years. You can visit the Niebla Fort to learn more about the Spanish residency during your time in Valdivia.
Sadly, Valdivia was badly damaged in the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960, so much of the town was destroyed and rebuilt quickly. As a result, the setting is beautiful, but less so the buildings. When you stand on Isla Teja and look over the water towards downtown, you can see the mishmash of styles which exist now.
Today, Valdivia is a bustling University town with a relatively young population. Some people refer to it as ‘the place where Chileans want to live’. So, let’s find out why…
How to spend a day in Valdivia
Walk the river front promenade from Calle Calle bridge
As a city built on three rivers, it seems only fitting to stroll along the wide riverside promenade. Start at Calle Calle Bridge and walk towards the city centre along the Calle Calle River.
There is a large Rowing Club near the Calle Calle Bridge, so the river was busy with eights, quads and sculls practising their boat skills on the water – as an ex-rower this was fun to watch for a while.
The promenade was a pretty place for a walk with weeping willow trees and lovely views, busy with pedestrians, joggers, and skateboarders coming back and forth. I liked the lampposts doubling up as phone charging stations (handy) and colourful dog kennels along the promenade offering shade and a nice place for your dog to rest.
Towards the confluence with the River Valdivia, you can look across the water to the shipyards. At the time of our visit, they were building a ship called the Magellan Explorer, the first hybrid Antarctica Expedition Ship, available to book from 2027 (yes please!).
Take a boat trip on the river
There are lots of leisure boat trips on offer in Valdivia, and we were approached by several operators on the main strip into town. The one that caught my eye was the boat trip with the passengers wearing life jackets and pirate hats!
Look for Patagonian Sea lions
Waterfront on the Valdivia River – on the new waterfront (Nueva Costanera) on the Valdivia River, you might see your first Patagonian Sea Lions hanging out on the wooden platforms, or even on the promenade itself – in fact, you’ll probably smell them before you see them!
People often cite seeing the Patagonian Sea Lions on the promenade outside the Hotel Dreams Pedro de Valdivia.
South American, or Patagonian Sea Lions are the world’s largest species of sea lion. The males are much bigger than the females: males can measure up to 3 meters in length and weight 350kg, whereas females can be up to a meter shorter and half the weight.
The adult males also look slightly different with larger heads and shaggy manes of hair.
The other place to look for the Patagonian Sea Lions is at the Fluvial Market (floating market).
Visit the Floating Market (Mercado Fluvial)
This local market on the Valdivia River is a hive of activity. You’ll walk through a line of market stalls selling fish and local produce such as cheese, strings of small sausages, fresh fruit, and vegetables.
Behind the stalls is a row of fishmongers cleaning and chopping today’s catch of fish, ready for sale on the market stalls. As they prepare the fish, they throw the scraps into a channel behind them, on the edge of the water. As a result, the floating market attracts a range of scavenger birds and Patagonian sea lions hoping for scraps (as in the featured photo).
As a result, the market was a cacophony of sound – stall holders shouting, birds squawking and sea lions honking!
Pick up some artisanal crafts
On the promenade outside the Floating Market are rows of craft stalls selling all manner of souvenirs – wooden handicrafts, knitted items, fridge magnets, and jewellery.
Tour an old submarine
Just beyond the market stalls is a 1970s British–made Oberon class submarine, which was retired from the Chilean navy in mid 2000s. Tours of this surveillance attack submarine are available at certain times of the day. To be honest, it looked as though it had seen better days from the outside.
Check out the German architecture
There was a wave of immigration from Germany in the mid 19th century, and as a result you can see the German influence in some of the buildings around town, although many were lost in the 1960 Earthquake.
Centro Cultural El Austral – this is one such building, built in German chalet style with a Bavarian steeple in the 1870s. If you want to see inside a building designed by German settlers then pop in for a look.
Check out some contemporary art
At the time of our visit in November 2025, the impressive looking MAC (Museum of Contemporary Art) Valdivia was ‘temporarily closed’. In fact, it was more than closed; it appeared to have been demolished. Hopefully it will be finished before too much longer as it’s positioned in a prominent position on the riverbank.
Take a Brewery crawl on Isla Teja
There are several craft breweries in Valdivia, mainly on Isla Teja (Island of Tiles). The island gets its name from its production of roof tiles and bricks in the second half of the 19th century, rather like the neighbourhood of Triana in Seville.
We sampled IPAs at El Growler and had some good bar food to mop up the alcohol.
One of the best-known breweries in Valdivia is Cervecería Kunstmann with its strong German influence. We didn’t visit the brewery but did drink Kuntsmann beer throughout our time in Chile.
In fact, Isla Teja is a good place to look for your evening meal, as the area was packed with restaurants as well as breweries.
Interestingly, a lot of the houses on Isla Teja had food trucks in their gardens, as if they would be open for business at a busier time of the year – perhaps offering homemade options?
Where to stay in Valdivia
We booked a hotel on Booking.com that served us well and had a great view of the Magellan Explorer being built at the side of the hotel, however it was a little far out of the centre.
Hotel Dreams Pedro de Valdivia is much more central and would probably be a good option – modern, but in a handy location.
Final thoughts...
So why is Valdivia the city where many Chileans want to live?
Well, from the very short time we spent in Valdivia, it appears that geography is one of the main reasons – it’s based on 3 rivers whilst being near the sea, is close to the stunning Lake District and away from the smog of sprawling Santiago, and has many opportunities to get into the great outdoors.
Couple the above with a vibrant nightlife for those who want it due to the influx of university students, and you can see why Valdivia would be popular with locals.
In fact, popular with Patagonian Sea Lions and people alike!
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