Pucon and the Chilean Lake District
Laguna Torro, part of the Los Lagos trail in Parque Nacional Huerquehue
It was cold when we stepped off the bus in Pucon, maybe 3 degrees - I could see my breath. My coat wasn’t enough to keep warm. I put on my hat and gloves, rubbing my hands together. I inhaled and felt the cold air on the back of my throat, cleansing my lungs. This is my happy place.
We knew when we left home we’d signed up for pretty much a year without winter, give or take a few weeks. That might sound like paradise to some people, but I’d been starting to feel the first few pangs of homesickness whilst scrolling through pictures of pumpkins and autumn leaves in England. We were firmly in my favourite time of year and… it hadn’t felt the same. Until now.
Pucon is part of the Chilean Lake District, a name evocative enough to paint a picture of our surroundings for the following 5 days: lush forests, sparkling lakes, and towering volcanoes.
Alpine vibes in Pucon town
The town is dominated by the presence of Volcano Villarrica on one side, its looming shape visible from every street, and Lake Villarrica on the other.
Whilst not far enough south to be considered part of Patagonia, our first impressions of the town reminded us very much of our trip further south in 2019. Wooden, chalet-style buildings line the streets, which stretch out from a buzzing main road - it’s not too dissimilar from little Swiss mountain towns, or ski resorts in the Alps. Jump on a bus in almost any direction and you’ll soon be surrounded by forest.
It’s for this reason Pucon has become a popular tourist destination over the years, and we could see it was set up for hoards of visitors. For a start, the town had the first tourist information centre that we’ve actually seen open! Hotels are popping up on the lake side and every other building is a tour operator. I thought the town still retained its rustic charm, but perhaps that’s because we were visiting in the relative quiet of the beginning of Spring’s shoulder season.
Adventure Capital
The active volcano is the major attraction in the area. It is possible to hike to the summit for incredible views and, at times, even see the lava. That sounds like the kind of thing we would love, right? Unfortunately, the cost of renting the equipment and guide needed for the ascent was beyond our budget, this time. Hey… we’ll always have Nevado Mateo. We also read about caves that are accessible beneath the volcano, but could not find a tour operator that offered this anywhere! So without a 4x4 to access the area ourselves, it was also off limits.
As well as budget, we were hampered by our off season visit in that we found it impossible to arrange one of the activities we really wanted to do. Clearly still smarting from our poor kayaking show at Lake Titicaca, we were keen to get out on the lake and hone our skills. The tourist information centre told us there was a man who hires out kayaks from the lakeside… well, not in October he doesn’t. We walked up and down the beach searching in vain, and eventually had to settle for an hour long catamaran ride as our excursion on the water.
So at this point you might be thinking… did we actually manage to do anything in Pucon?!
You’ll be pleased to hear that the main reason we came to the area, and the highlight of our time there by far, went off without a hitch.
Hiking in Parque Nacional Huerquehue
Parque Nacional Huerquehue is 125 sq km of pristine wilderness and lush forests, about an hour from Pucon. It's a paradise for nature lovers and hikers, and it is easily accessible for a budget-friendly DIY day trip - music to our ears.
Reserving our entrance online in advance, we jumped on the morning bus out of Pucon for the hour ride to the park entrance. The driver made clear the return bus would leave at 5.10pm: with only one bus each way per day, we had to get a move on (and not do our classic thing and get lost) so as not to be stranded in the park.
A park ranger greeted the bus and showed us a map of the area. He spoke in very quick Spanish(!) but we pieced together from his speech that only one trail was open, the Los Lagos trail, the others being impassable due to snow. At around 12km / 6 hours, Los Lagos was the best option for making it back in time for our bus anyway, so we happily set off.
To say the trail was beautiful is an understatement. We walked through ancient forests of monkey puzzle trees, past a series of pristine lakes, each more serene than the last. Along the way there were detours to stunning waterfalls and viewpoints, and as we climbed uphill the trail was lined with crunchy snow. Not for the first time on our travels, we tucked into our homemade sandwiches on the banks of a peaceful, glacial lake.
Physically the hike wasn’t too demanding, but the wet ground had turned several sections into mud baths - so it required a fair bit of concentration and careful footing, especially on the downhill return. Unfortunately Graeme got very closely acquainted with the mud on a couple of occasions…! But we made it back to the entrance with 45 minutes to spare before our bus departure - just enough time for a local beer to toast a thoroughly enjoyable day.
Exploring the Lakes
We woke up the next morning with our legs feeling the effort of the day before. Scrapping vague plans to hire bikes and ride out to nearby waterfalls, we instead opted for the more relaxing trip to nearby Lake Caburgua.
A short bus ride away, this was another still and beautiful lake surrounded by forest covered peaks - with the added bonus of a white sand beach on its shores. A short walk out of town we found a series of tiny secluded coves with sandy beaches just big enough to lay our towel out on, surrounded by rocky pools and looking out on uninterrupted views of the water. It made a gorgeous backdrop to a few lazy hours in the spring sunshine. Yes, we had a little paddle… it would be rude not to dip our toes. It was freezing!
Back in Pucon, we ended our time in the city with the most amazing meal at Trawlen, a cosy restaurant serving delicious local dishes.
* * *
Pucon is absolutely a place we want to return to in future. In four days we only scratched the surface of things to do in the area - there is enough going on to keep visitors busy for weeks. As well as the volcano climb, caves and kayaking I mentioned above, there are more national parks and lakes to visit, it’s possible to cycle to waterfalls near Caburgua, and there are plenty of natural thermal baths in the area to relax in after all that activity.
Time and again we’ve found our favourite places to be the ones where we can fully immerse ourselves in nature, both the thrill and the tranquility of it. So, as sad as we were to leave Pucon, we were full excitement to be heading further south into the wilds of Northern Patagonia.
Related Content
