Road trip | Pucon | Chile
Explore Pucon, Volcán Villarrica, and Huerquehue National Park
Text | Anninka Kraus
Photography | Tobias Kraus
Pucon Araucanía
Our reasons for traveling to Pucon were simple. We saw photos of a perfectly conical snow-capped volcano, Volcán Villarrica, rising regally in the background of a very pretty lakeside resort nestled on the eastern shore of Lake Villarrica and wanted to go.
The promise of great hiking in nearby Huerquehue National Park also factored into the decision more than its reputation as renowned destination for Chilean and foreign adventure sports junkies.
Volcán Villarrica’s isolated cone recalled views of Mount Kilimanjaro rising unexpectedly from the Tanzanian plains and bore no resemblance to the jagged, unruly Cordillera del Paine mountain group in Torres del Paine National Park.
what to expect.
Explore Pucon, a renowned destination for Chilean and foreign adventure sports junkies
Enjoy the views of a perfectly conical snow-capped volcano Volcán Villarrica, rising regally in the background of Pucon
Cycle to Los Ojos de Caburga, azure blue lagoons and waterfalls hidden in the woodlands off the Route S-905
Walk the popular Los Lagos trail meandering through virgin forest, mountainous terrain, lagoons, lakes, and rivers in Huerquehue National Park in the Andean foothills
Los Ojos de Caburga
Pucon catered to a well-off adrenaline hungry crowd by providing a range of accommodation, restaurants, cafes selling wickedly delicious cakes and outdoor stores.
We rented bikes in town and riding along the road past our B&B, located some distance from the village, towards Los Ojos de Caburga, azure blue lagoons and waterfalls hidden in the woodlands off the Route S-905, discovered small farm stalls that sold queso de campo (homemade cheese), honey, cake, bread, jam and sickly-looking green eggs (probably a healthy diet of grass not fishmeal that answers for the colour).
The area is tourist oriented but maintained its rural charm and locals greeted us, lacking the most basic Spanish language skills, very kindly.
When we arrived at the waterfalls, hidden in native woodland, these gushed into small pools from all sides and whipped up whitecaps rushing across the surface. For a moment the cascades were locked in a powerful battle of bubbling waves before the current carried that dispute into the next lagoon.
Where the water was undisturbed by spray its intense deep blue colour matched the yellow blooms of the flowering gorse skirting the lagoons’ edge in brightness. It was a pretty sight, but the area is small and took no more than an hour to explore.
Huerquehue National Park
Not so the trails meandering through virgin forest, mountainous terrain, lagoons, lakes, and rivers spreading across 125 square kilometres of the Andean foothills in Huerquehue National Park.
Small busses leave from Pucon several times daily and heeding our hosts advise we arrived early as indeed seats filled up quickly.
The scenery flashing past on the 35-kilometre ride gave a foretaste of the park and once we arrived at the CONAF ranger’s office on the shores of Tinquilco Lake we all stumbled of the bus excitedly. Some so well equipped with poles and large backpacks to suggest they would be gone for several weeks but we saw them again on the return trip that afternoon.
Most hikers opted for the short loop circuit on the popular Los Lagos trail, which takes about three to four hours to complete. We stopped for lunch on the shores of Lago Verde and revelled in the panorama that encapsulated our lasting impression of Huerquehue National Park.
Against the backdrop of a snowcapped peak spread a pristine lake skirted by old-growth forest and in its depth reflected ancient Araucaria – evergreen coniferous trees whose thick branches are widely spaced, scaled, and reached out vertically like gnarled fingers – next to pebbles in gentle ripples of crystal-clear water.
Los Ojos de Caburga: Beautiful azure blue lagoons and waterfalls hidden in the woodlands.
map of Pucon, Los Ojos de Caburga, and Huerquehue National Park
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