by Brian Major
Last updated: 5:38 PM ET, Tue May 5, 2015
PHOTO: Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park remains closed following the Calbuco volcano eruption. (Photo by Brian Major)
"Routine activity" has returned to regions of southern Chile impacted by this month's eruption of the Calbuco Volcano, said government officials in a statement.
Up to "95 percent" of activity in the Los Lagos region is operational, the officials said, excluding the 20-kilometer zone "directly located along the periphery of the volcano's crater." The Calbuco volcano is located on the border of Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, between the Llanquihue and Chapo lakes, two area of Chile popular with travelers.
"The affected area is the zone directly located around the volcano," said Javiera Montes, Chile's undersecretary of tourism. Basic services including "close to 95 percent of tourism services," accommodations and restaurants are fully operational, Montes said.
In addition, the Nahuel Ñadi Natural Monument; Chiloe National Park; Islotes de Puñihuil National Monument; Hornopiren National Park; Futaleufu National Reserve; and Puyehue National Park are open to the public.
Conversely, Alerce Andino National Park; the Llanquihue National Reserve, Puyehue National Park and Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park are currently closed to the public.
In addition, entrance to the Cochamo valley is available via Puelche Cove; entrance via Ensenada is restricted. Access to the Osorno Volcano and the entrance to Los Saltos del Petrohue are temporarily closed, as they are located directly within the exclusion zone, Montes added.
The Arturo Merino Benítez international airport in Santiago and the Tepual Airport in Puerto Montt are functioning "without disruptions" while flights to and from southern Chile are fully operational, said Montes.
In Osorno-Puyehue, the city of Osorno and the coastal areas of Bahía Mansa, Pucatrihue and Maicolpue are functioning normally, along with the thermal baths of Puyehue and the Antillanca tourist complex.
In the Lake Llanquihue region, the entrances to Lake Todos los Santos and Los Saltos de Petrohue are closed, as are routes to the Osorno volcano. Puerto Montt's Carretera Austral is operating normally.
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