Pucon.
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Overview

Pucón is a small touristy town in the middle of the southern lake district in Chile. Pucón is extremely popular with Chileans and foreigners for the beautiful views of Volcano Villarrica and for mountain-climbing. The night-life is quite active.

Understand

The city center is a backpacker's Disneyland, filled with travel agencies offering a wide range of day trips. If you don't like it crowded, you'll be better off in the nearby town of Villarrica. January and February are the busiest months.

The climbing of Volcano Villarrica, which is the highest and most-active climbable volcano in South America, is highly commercialised. You must take a guided tour unless you are a professional climber with a certification. Tour prices sky-rocketed in the mid-2010s. The trail is easy, though. Local tour guides will admit that the only reason for these rules are to force tourists into expensive guided tours.

CONAF (Administration Parque National Villarica). Reliable information, maps and registration for all the national parks in the region. Non-committal and non-binding.

Get in

By bus Buses travel between Santiago and Pucón daily, many overnight. Tickets are scarce in summer, buy yours sufficiently ahead of your intended departure time.

Turbus. From Santiago 5 times a day, 11 hr 30 min.

Jac. From Santiago twice daily, 9 hr 23 min.

You can also take the bus from Valdivia, it takes 3 hr.

By plane Pucón's airport operates only during summer (for regular flights); the flights from Santiago are expensive. The closest airport for the remainder of the year is Temuco, to which airlines do the flight in about one hour from Santiago or Puerto Montt. Temuco is about 1½ hours away by road.

By train Trains run to Temuco in summer (Dec-Feb), and only to Chillan at the rest of the year. Buses are better value.

By car Driving from Santiago takes approximately 8 hours and involves the passing of seven road tolls on the ruta 5, 1,600 pesos each. The road from the turnoff to Pucón is paved and in good shape.

Mainly taxis to places out of town; the town is small enough to walk. Cycling is easy as they have put in cycle lanes along the main road. There are plenty of collectivo buses too and small public buses.

See

From Pucon's center there are stunning views of Volcan Villarrica, one of the most active volcanoes in Chile.

Do

Climbing Volcano Villarrica. Snowcapped Villarrica (2861 m) looms majestically over Pucón at 2,840 meters (9,318 feet) above sea level. Climbing to the top is non-technical and, on clear days, easy. Thousands of people make the climb each year, most of them in January and February, taking in the spectacular views of Volcans Llaima, Choshuenco, Quetrupillán, Lanin, and Lonquimay in the horizon. Crampons, ice axe and/or trekking poles and warm windproof clothing are essential equipment year round. To be allowed to climb without a guide you must register with Conaf (in town), have your equipment checked and show proof of membership in a mountaineering organization in your home country. Most people start from the skiing area, where you can take the ski lift for the first 300 m. You can also start from near the refugio, at the Mirador Los Craters. From there the climb is longer, but for those carrying skis or snowboards, that means more riding when descending. Getting to the ski area or Mirador Los Craters is easy hitchhiking. Taxis in Pucón will gladly take you there as well. Most of guided excursions begin at around 07:00 but some agencies offer an earlier 05:00 start and you will get to reach the volcano alone with your team, avoiding the big crowds that arrive later. Most guides won't go further up after 14:00 so get up early and don't waste too much time on your way up. Be sure to check how much money you'll get back if the climb is canceled due to bad weather.

Climbing Volcano Quetrupillan. Alternatively to the over-commercialised Volcano Villarrica, you can also visit Quetrupillan (2,009 m) right behind it and shoot some great pictures of Villarrica and Lanin, which is even higher, at the border. The , which is a side road of 199-CH between Pucón and Curarrehue. The latter is served by a bus. The trails here can be 2-5 days in length, depending on your route. From Quetrupillan it is possible to go back on the southern side of Volcano Villarrica or heading further southeast, which however can be quite muddy. Likewise you can start north at the foot of Volcano Villarrica and circle it west, south and east to head further to Quetrupillan. To find the trails, consult OpenStreetMap, which many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz use. However, the trail circling Volcano Villarrica is not visible there. So, either way it is a good idea to obtain some non-committal information beforehand from the CONAF office in Pucón.

Huerquehue National Park. A very beautiful and worth a visit national park in close reach of Pucón. They have a camp ground at the though. Nevertheless, it seems that the and do not have any restrictions enforced, and an official camp ground is available in the centre of the trail. To find all the trails and potential camp grounds, consult OpenStreetMap, which many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz use.

Huerquehue North Trail (green). Distance: 19.8 km, hilly to mountainous. Duration: 2-3 days. Grade: Easy to medium (climb to the mountain top viewpoint at 1,750 m can be difficult). Recommended: comfortable clothes and shoes for walking.In case you are looking for an inexpensive, more exciting and more challenging alternative to the overrun and over-commercialised Huerquehue National Park, check out this trail in the northern part of the national park. Great mountain slopes, wide grasslands, impressive forests with immense trees, and picturesque views of the mountains itself and surrounding ones and volcanoes.1) You start in Caburgua from where you take the road along the eastern side of the lake until you reach the beginning of the trail. here or continue into the park where you can find further camping opportunities. 2) The next central spot of the trail is the , from here you hike up to (Pass of decision). And you either continue further south into the rest of the Huerquehue National Park (and back later) or straight up the mountain to about 1,750 m for picturesque views of the three closeby volcanoes of the region (Villarrica, LLaima, and Lanín). 3) Back at Renahue Camping area, the trail continues towards the termas at its eastern end—take the northern part of this trail, details for the termas see below. Take a dip into their refreshing and heating waters, and put up your tent or continue a little further for a free camp site.There are many camp sites along the trail, as you can see on OpenStreetMap. There are regular buses from Pucon to Caburgua for 800 pesos. Leaving again from the end of the trail (at the termas) is more complicated—in case you intend to hitch-hike, get out of the trail on a Saturday or Sunday when you will also get some weekenders traffic. Otherwise, there is not much local traffic towards Temuco from the termas and waiting/walking for 6 hr is not uncommon. The other road east back to Pucon, however, seems to be more frequented by cars. Or you decide to hike back, taking the southern loop of this trail and then head south via Mirador Renahue through the main touristy part of the national park. Or you come in from the north east, i.e. termas, (with bus or hitch) to begin with. There are sometimes stray dogs along the trail, especially near houses—read Chile#Stay safe for behaviour advice.Download coordinates: GPX, KML.

Thermal Springs Los Pozones. 5 natural pools next to the river, water around 35-45ºC with a beautiful setting, especially during winter (snow around you).

Skiing and snowboarding. The skiing area on Villarrica is open May until the beginning of October. Rent equipment in Pucón, or on the drive up to the ski slope. The highlight of the resort is its amazing views over the lake. It has 4 chairs and 3 T-bar lifts. The resort area goes from 4,527 ft to 5,314 ft, making a total drop of approximately 800 feet. The backcountry possibilities of the resort are great: with the help of a local guide you can ski to the Villarrica Volcano's summit, 9200 feet above sea level. The volcano often has good snow conditions up until November and the duration of the climb and descent is approximately 9 hours, for advance skiers in good shape, but it's really worth the effort. Golf. In "Peninsula", a residential area downtown, there is a well maintained golf course with views of the Villarrica volcano and the lake surrounding the course. The course is officially for members only. Horse back riding. This is a popular way to see the Mapuche settlements like Quelhue in the area. Tour agencies selling these tours are located all over the town. Check the conditions of the horses, as not all of them in good shape. Rides to "Salto el Claro" are in parts beside paved roads. Trustful agencies are at Ecole and Politur. Hike past the waterfalls and gurgling brooks in the Huerquehue National Park. Doing this will enable you to get to know the strange Araucaria (monkey puzzle) tree, and other native vegetation such as Coigües and Lingues. The trails pass view points where you can while away the time namedropping volcanoes and Andean peaks. Bring food and water because you might want to stay the whole day. White water rafting and kayaking is a possibility in the glacier-fed Trancura River. Trancura Bajo offers third-degree rapids, good for beginners. Trancura Alto offers fourth-degree rapids and might require a little more courage. Tour agencies in the town will take you there. Fishing. Guided fly-fishing excursions are held on the tranquil Río Liucura and the more turbulent Río Trancura. Both rivers offer scenery and trout. Visit the volcanic caves at Villarrica Volcan.

Antilco Horse Farm. They have a couple options to stay in, a guest house that has two separate rooms sleeping a total of five people and a small cabana for two. They are very cosy self-catering and slightly out of town, they will come and pick you up. Also outstanding horse riding and trips from there. Getting there is fun, you head over a small bridge on a dust track and then follow the river until you find their property.

Jack Trout Fly Fishing. Fly fishing wading and drift boat excursions on the Rio Trancura, Licura, San Pedro & all Lake District rivers since 1993. Single day or multiple day guide trips. Fly fishing equipment available. Accepts credit cards.

Rumbo Sur 360 Montañismo. Great tours and experienced guides for climbing, scaling, repelling or hiking the mountains and the most spectacular active volcanoes in the south of Chile.

Amity Tours. Amity Tours has programs exploring the ancestral roots of the region with local specialized guides. They offer hiking trips in the national parks, road cycling, volcano-climbing, horse-back riding, insight into the local flora and fauna, ethnic discovery, trips to hot springs, and skiing on active volcanoes.

Buy

BancoEstado. You need a passport to exchange money.

Eat

Ecole. A good vegetarian restaurant.

La Maga. Mouthwatering Argentinian barbeque. Book ahead in summer.

Pizza Cala. Some of the best brick oven pizza in town. Also has a full bar with international TV sports.

Restaurant Parque Antumalal. Upscale restaurant at Hotel Antumalal with views over the lake. Prior reservations only, no walk-ins.

Viva Peru. Amazing Peruvian food - try the fish.

Drink

Mamas and Tapas Bar Restaurant. Great place, good food (tacos!) and music.

Sleep

Due to being extremely popular for its volcano, there do exist many accommodation options in Pucón and prices are considerably lower than elsewhere.

Gecko Hostel. Not that central but very friendly and comfortable.

Hostal El Refugio. Warm and friendly hostel, excellent place for meeting others in the inviting communal areas. Facilities include a well-equipped kitchen, several fireplaces, free Internet and tea and coffee all day. The owners and staff are friendly and have a wealth of information. It has dorms and private rooms (even one with private fireplace).

Alma Nativa Hostel. Cozy and intimate hostel, with manicured grounds and an outdoor pool.

Paradise Pucon Hostel. This lovely little hostel is in a quiet neighborhood a short walk from town. Close to the beach on the lake, lots of common space, including a cozy fireplace for winter and hammock for the summer, this hostel offers great, personalized service. The friendly staff can help you with travel arrangements.

Cabañas Akubra Pucon. Owned by Chilean-born Australians.

Gran Hotel Pucon. A large hotel on the lake shore with great views of the lake or volcano. It is likely the oldest and most famous hotel in town and it shows. While clean, the rooms, bathrooms and facilities are very dated. The staff speak a little English.

Hotel Antumalal. Hotel and spa nestled in 5 ha of private gardens on the Villarrica lake edge. The unique setting merges natural beauty with style and personalized service.

Hotel y Cabañas Kernayel. The cabañas are really great.