[9] Puerto Varas is characterized by traditional German architecture, with houses built from alerce wood using tools brought over from Europe by the 19th century colonial inhabitants.

Puerto Varas is a popular tourist destination with its distinctive German-inspired architecture, wide variety of hotels and inns, a casino, a beach and striking views over the lake to the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes.

Visitors can take part in a range of outdoor sports including kayaking, fishing and trekking, and there is a winter ski centre on the slopes of Osorno Volcano.

Puerto Varas is the starting point for bus-and-boat crossings of the Andes, through spectacular forested mountains reflected in shimmering lakes, to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.

As a commune, Puerto Varas is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years.

[1] Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Puerto Varas is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Fidel Espinoza (PS) and Felipe DeMussy Hiriart (UDI).

It is part of the 56th electoral district, together with Puyehue, Río Negro, Purranque, Puerto Octay, Fresia, Frutillar, Llanquihue and Los Muermos.

The commune is represented in the Senate by Rabindranath Quinteros (PS) and Iván Moreira (UDI) as part of the 17th senatorial constituency (Los Lagos Region).