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HIKING 8 NATIONAL PARKS OF THE LAKE & VOLCANO DISTRICT - 8D/7N 

HIKING NATIONAL PARKS OF THE LAKES & VOLCANOES DISTRICT AND MAGICAL CHILOE ISLAND – CHILE - 11D/10N


B = Breakfast                 BL = Box Lunch              L = Lunch                  D = Dinner

Departing from Pucón or Temuco, we’ll drive about 2 ½ hours passing through old-fashioned little towns like Cunco and Melipeuco. Then we’ll head by the Alpehue river valley until we get to the point where we initiate the best part of the excursion.
The ascend starts on a trail located under dense and humid native forests. When reaching the 1400 meters (4.595 feet) you’ll notice that the forest is now dominated by the presence of araucaria trees (monkey-puzzle tree), an ancient tree considered a living fossil that ranges over one thousand year of age. Then at 1800 meters (5.905 feet) we’ll be hiking across sand banks of volcanic slag that considerably slow down our pace.
After almost 4 hours we’ll be reaching the extinct 4-km-wide crater that is covered by a 25 km² glacier. This low-profile volcano is less prominent than its neighbors Llaima and Villarrica, but its explosive history makes it a potentially hazardous volcanic center. The views from the summit are completely spectacular, with a 360º landscape composed of lagoons, snowcapped peaks and the artic-like glacier.

Those people more keen in the wildlife will be fond of native trees like the coigüe (Nothofagus dombeyi), raulí (Nothofagus alpina) tepa (Laureliopsis philipiana) and araucaria (Araucaria araucana) and endemic birds such as the Carpintero Negro – Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus) and Choroy – Slender-billed parakeet (Enicognatus leptorhynchus). In addition, around the area are relatively large populations of monito del monte – a Chilean marsupial (Dromiciops gliroides), pudú – smallest deer in Chile (Pudu pudu), huillín – river otter (Lontra provocax) that is endangered because of the loss of its habitat, and Darwin frog (Rhinoderma darwini), an endemic specie that is seriously threatened. 
At the end of the day, we’ll enjoy a delicious Chilean BBQ at Los Pioneros. After the meal, we’ll head off to the urban areas, driving 2 ½ hours approximately.

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We leave Temuco at 7:30 and head north on the Pan American Highway, traveling 25 kms (15 miles) until we reach the town of Lautaro, where we take a secondary road that goes east toward the Andean area. As we move closer to the mountains, the scenery becomes absolutely amazing with views of three volcanoes, Tolhuaca (2.806 meters / 9.206 feet), Llaima (3,125 m / 10,253 feet) and Lonquimay (the three still active). En route we pass through the town of Curacautín and the village of Manzanar, until we arrive at the quaint village of Malalcahuello (2-hour drive). This little village is well-known because of its proximity to the stunning Lonquimay volcano, as well as for its fantastic thermal waters. From Malalcahuello we take a 15 km (9 miles) dirt road that enters the National Reserve Nalcas-Malalcahuello and travel through a phenomenal forest of araucarias (Araucaria araucana) that leads to Corralco, the ski center located at the foothill of the volcano. Here we take a 20-minute ride on a double chairlift that will take us to the highest point of the ski center and from there we begin the ascent to the top. Ahead of us we have a tough hike on the southeast side of the volcano, and between three to four hours we’ll reach its gigantic crater at 2.865 meters / 9.400 feet. At the summit we can take-in the view of the fantastic peaks of the Andean Araucanía, such as Sierra Nevada (2.554 meters / 8.379 feet) and Llaima volcano, as well as the more distant landmark of the Lanín volcano (3.710 meters / 12.172 feet) to the south.
In the winter season and only if you are an experienced skier or snowboarder, we can climb the volcano carrying the equipment and make a thrilling descent. We’ll return to the vehicles around 5 pm and immediately head off to Malalcahuello, where we can visit the famous Hot Springs, the most modern thermal resort of the region, where you can relax and enjoy the soothing baths. The resort has a fully equipped large indoor thermal pool, and two small pools at different temperatures (one very cold and one very hot). The Spa offers massages and beauty therapy services for an additional cost.  For those more interested in revelry and merry making, there is a restaurant and bar. In the evening, we return to Temuco. End of services.

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Departing from Pucón or Temuco, we’ll drive about 2 ½ hours passing through old-fashioned little towns like Cunco and Melipeuco until we’ll get to the Conguillío National Park, one of the most attractive and outstanding parks of the Lakes & Volcanoes District. This well-conserved territory lies from 900 to 3.125 meters high (2.953 to 10.253 feet) covering an area of 60.832 hectares (150.320 acres).  
We'll visit the pristine Arco Iris (Rainbow) Lagoon with its clear waters that reflect stunning colors. Here you will witness how the Llaima volcano has permanently shaped the landscape of the area with its eruptions and you’ll have the fantastic opportunity to walk on the lava flows that once came from the heart of the earth.
Then we’ll drive until Playa Linda located at the shores of Conguillío Lake (nice beach) where we’ll start hiking along the Sierra Nevada trail (3 ½ hours round trip) surrounded by native trees, including ancient monkey-puzzle tree or araucarias (Araucaria araucana), raulí (Nothofagus alpina) and coigüe (Nothofagus dombeyi). Normally, it takes about 1 ½ hours to get to the second look-out point which is overlooking the majestic lake Conguillío and the Sierra Nevada Range, and then another hour to get to the end of the trail. We'll also be able to spot endemic birds such as the Magellan woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus), which we will see searching the tree trunks for insects, as well as we hear and possibly watch the Chucao tapaculo (Selorchilis rubecula) and the noisy Slender-billed parakeet (Enicognatus leptorhynchus). After spending some time taking pictures and enjoying the amazing view, we'll hike back to Playa Linda at bottom of the trail. Here we’ll eat a box lunch and recover our strength. Then we’ll get in the minibuses and drive to the second trail called Araucaria Madre. We’ll spend almost 2 ½ hours hiking in the trail and we'll see a Great Araucaria of 45 meters high (148 feet) and about 2,000 years old. At dusk we’ll commence our return to the urban areas, driving 2 ½ hours approximately.

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Departing from Pucón, we head southeast driving 35 km / 22 miles to Palguín valley through the National Park Villarrica, enjoying views of scenic waterfalls formed by basaltic rock and several majestic snow-capped volcanoes such as Quetrupillán (2.390 m / 7.841 feet) and Rucapillan (2.847 meters / 9.340 feet). The vegetation changes from raulí (Nothofagus alpina) and hualle (Nothofagus oblicua) forests to araucarias (Araucaria araucana) as we ascend to Chinay, the highest point of the day at 1.250 meters / 4.101 feet altitude. From Chinay we’ll experience a descent through the forest; jumping and dodging natural obstacles like roots and mud puddles. After an almost 7-hour exhausting hike, we will reward our physical effort by visiting the Geometricas Hot Springs. This place offers the perfect combination between thermal facilities and natural surroundings. Located in the environs of the park, Termas Geometricas has 16 strategically located thermal pools, allowing the visitors to never feel overcrowded. The natural surroundings are exuberant and the facilities are simple but very cozy. Finally we get in the minibus and return to the hotel or meeting point. While driving down the road we’ll have a wonderful view of Calafquén Lake, which is situated on the eastern border of Coñaripe, a town that was totally destroyed by the 1964 eruption of the Villarrica volcano (Rucapillan).  End of services.

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Departing from Temuco, we’ll drive for about 75 minutes until we arrive at the town of Pucón, the main adventure destination in the Lakes & Volcanoes District. Then we head southeast in the direction of Huerquehue National Park, located at the foothills of the Andes, 35 km (22 miles) from Pucón. The park covers 12.500 hectares (30.890 acres) with various lagoons, dense vegetation and gigantic trees that are the habitat of several endemic birds.  
We pass the entrance post and drive another 3 km until the road ends; from this point we are at only 400 m from the trail.
The hike starts easy but after a short distance the trail becomes rougher and sometimes steeper, but is still considered a relatively easy hiking level.
After walking 30 minutes at an easy pace, we’ll get to the Nido de Aguilas (nest of eagles) waterfalls and then we’ll keep hiking on a steeper terrain, surrounded by gigantic coigües (Nothofagus dombeyi) and mañíos (Podocarpus nubigena). We have arrived at the first lookout point where the views of Villarrica Volcano (2.847 m / 9.349 feet) and Tinquilco Lake are absolutely stunning; here you’ll find great photo opportunities as well as chance to reenergize with a snack. As we continue hiking, our guide will point out some wild flora of the area (i.e. mutisias, orchids and alstroemerias), and if luck is on our side, we can spot some birds that live in the forests of Nothofagus, such as chucao tapaculo (Selorchilis rubecula), black-throated huet-huet (Pteroptochos tarnii) and the Magellan woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus) among others.
After hiking another 20 minutes, we’ll arrive at the Trufulco Falls where we stop for a short time. At this point the trail gets more demanding, but not so much that everyone won’t be able to reach the second lookout point, where the view gets even better.
We catch our breath again and resume the hike along the trail; now that we are over 1000 m / 3.280 feet above sea level we begin to see the first araucarias (Araucaria araucana). Soon we will walk through a mixed forest with many of these trees, considered to be a national monument for their exceptional characteristics.
We have hiked around 2½  hours when we arrive at the first lake called Chico (small), with its clear waters reflecting the image of hundred of araucarias and snow-capped peaks. The trail gets more even and in only 15 minutes we arrive at Lago Toro (Bull Lake). Here we eat our well deserved box lunch and spend some more time taking pictures or simply resting. We can watch the breathtaking landscape and spot some of the birdlife that inhabits the shores of this lake, such as the Andean ducks (Oxyura ferruginea), aiding our observation with binoculars.
Following the break, we keep going through an easy terrain and visit the third lake called Verde (green) which is the last attraction of our hike. Now we can commence a two-hour decent by the same trail to the parking area.
We leave the park and drive 40 minutes though a scenic rural road to visit and unwind at Huife Hot Springs, which will be the perfect end to this very active day. The thermal center is located by the Liucura River and is surrounded by stunning native forests. This place offers three outdoor thermal pools at different temperatures, a good restaurant and a cafeteria. In addition, the center also includes massage and beauty therapy services for an additional cost. Here you can enjoy the scenery while relaxing in the therapeutic thermal waters. Return to hotel or meeting place. End of services.

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Departing from Temuco or Pucón, we’ll take about 2¾ hours to get to Valdivia, arriving to the “river city” before noon. During the morning we visit the multicolor Feria Fluvial (river market), a produce & seafood street market where you can get familiar with the daily life of the city. Great South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) co-exist with the local vendors along with pelicans, seagulls and cormorants on the shores of the river.
Then we’ll drive toward the village of Niebla on the Pacific coast, visiting the fishermen’s cove of Los Molinos. Here we’ll enjoy fresh fish and seafood for lunch, the chef’s specialty. In the afternoon we will travel across a beautiful country-side road by the Pacific Ocean, until arriving at Punta Curiñanco, a protected reserve by CODEFF (a Chilean organization for native flora and fauna protection). The protected area covers 80.92 hectares (200 acres) of land and maintains a unique evergreen forest of 250 year-old Olivillo costero trees (Aetoxicum punctatum). The area has been recognized by the World Wildlife Fund and the World Bank as one of the 200 ecosystems with such rich biodiversity in the world.
The hike takes a total of about 3 hours and ranges between easy and medium trails passing through rainforest and beautiful coastal cliffs; the flora is mostly native trees, huge ferns, vines and shrubs with fruits that are ripe and ready to eat during summertime.
In the reserve, the presence of birds like the black vulture (Coragyps atratus), thorn-tailed rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda), Magellan woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus), and chucao tapaculo (Selorchilis rubecula) are commonly present. By the coast we can see the brown-hooded gull (Larus maculipennis) and some cormorants like the red-legged (Phalacrocorax gaimardi) and the neotropic (Phalacrocorax brasilianus). If we are lucky, we can spot the chungungo (Lontra felina), a marine feline that swims next to rocks covered by cochayuyos (seaweed) in search of its food.
Finally, on the way back to Valdivia, we will visit the Kunstmann brewery to enjoy a cold beer and reflect on our experiences of the day. Return to your hotel or meeting point. End of services.

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It’s not everyday in life that you have the great opportunity of climbing a volcano, but today you’ll have the chance to climb two volcanoes in one day, making it an absolutely once in a lifetime experience. The Mocho and Choshuenco are two striking volcanoes situated next to one another and linked by a fairly smooth glacier-covered valley, which makes it possible to reach both summits in one day.  
To visit the Mocho-Choshuenco National Reserve we can start from Temuco, Valdivia or Pucón, the only difference is the traveling time, which can range from one to three hours depending on the city of departure.
Only a few miles from the picturesque villages of Neltume and Choshuenco lays the Huilo Huilo Nature Reserve; a private ecological initiative located in the heart of the ancient temperate rainforest at the tip of South America.
The Reserve boasts of nearly 250 kilometers of roads and trails that allow you to discover untouched beaches, streams, water falls and lakes. The reserve also has within it the exceptional Montaña Magica (Magic Mountain) Lodge and Huilo Huilo Cabins, where several days’ worth of sports activities can be carried out.

We start this amazing hiking excursion from the recreational area of the reserve where we visit the awesome Huilo-Huilo Falls, followed by driving across the native forest until we get to the upper part of this natural area and enter the National Reserve Mocho-Choshuenco. We keep driving until the road ends at 1,800 m altitude (5,905 ft) and from this point we begin the hike towards the top of the Mocho Volcano (2,422 meters / 7,946 feet).
The first half of the route is quite easy and not steep, but when we get to the last part of the slope, the route gets more vertical, although not too challenging in terms of physical effort. After 2 hours we have reached the summit of Mocho and take-in a magnificent view of our next target, the Choshuenco Volcano. We’ll eat a box-lunch and then head down to the valley that links both volcanoes. We’ll walk along the valley for approximately 1 km (0.62 miles) until we kick off the ascent to the summit of the Choshuenco Volcano (2,415 meters / 7,923 feet). This part is more demanding as we the route is on a steeper slope and is covered by snow and ice most of the time. The landscape from the top is absolutely breathtaking, overlooking massive volcanoes such as Lanín (3,710 m / 12,172 ft) and Villarrica (2,847 m / 9,340 ft). During the winter, and only if you are an experienced skier or snowboarder, you can combine the climbing with an exciting off-piste skiing descent on the untouched slopes of both volcanoes.

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We invite you to join us in this amazing scenic excursion to Antillanca Ski Resort located in the Puyehue National Park, which was founded in 1941 and is situated in an extraordinarily beautiful zone in the middle of the Andes foothills. Its surface area covers 100 thousand hectares (220,000 acres), with its unique geography resulting from intense glaciations and volcanic action.
The volcanic activity manifests itself in the Antillanca area, where we find the dormant Casablanca Volcano, rising to an altitude of 1,990 m (6,527 feet above sea level). The Humid Evergreen forest, originated due to the high rainfall in the zone, is the predominant forest in the park. Of the species found here, the most common ones include ulmo (Eucryphia cordifolia) and coigüe (Nothofagus dombeyi), which are most abundant in the lower levels of the park.

We’ll start driving from Lake Puyehue, ascending by a paved road until we get to the entrance of the park. Then we continue on and take a dirt road that will take us to the ski center (45-60 minute drive). While traveling, we can see beautiful waterfalls and tranquil small lakes such as Toro, Encanto and Paraiso. Upon arriving at the mountain center we begin hiking for 30 minutes along a steep path through the native forest, arriving at a small road that leads us to the Rayhuén crater (place with flowers) of 1,350 m altitude (4,429 ft) at the foothill of the Casablanca Volcano. Here at the extinct crater we take a little break while enjoying the view of Lake Puyehue and then we’ll proceed on a short but tough trail of volcanic ash on the south edge of the crater. After no more than 20 minutes we’ll arrive at the Mirador Gaviotas (1,410 m / 4,626 ft) and if the day is clear, we can see three amazing snow-capped mountains, Mount Tronador (3,491 m / 11,453 ft), Puntiagudo Volcano (2,498 m / 8,196 ft) and Osorno Volcano with its perfect cone (2652 m / 8,700 ft). This extraordinary view will accompany us while we descend on the other side of this volcanic slag hill until we get to Cerro Mirador, the second look-out point of our hike. Finally, we’ll head to Cerro Colorado (reddish hill) where we can see the lakes Rupanco and Puyehue, and after this third “mirador” we’ll depart to Antillanca Hotel where we’ll have lunch and then drive back to your hotel.

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FD HIKING VICENTE PEREZ ROSALES NATIONAL PARK
ECO – HIK – 17
/ B / BL /

When in Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt, it’s worth while to visit the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, the very first wild protected area in Chile. The park covers a territory of nearly 627 thousand acres with extraordinary landscapes that include native forests, mountains and volcanoes with snow-capped peaks. 

On the way out from Puerto Varas, we’ll travel alongside the Llanquihue Lake en route to the village of Ensenada, where we head toward the Osorno Volcano and stop at the starting point of the El Solitario trail (2-hour drive). Here we begin hiking through the native forest with the volcano on our left-hand during the entire route and passing by a valley covered by lava flows that were formed by old eruptions. After almost 2 hours of hiking, we’ll arrive at the road that leads to the main entrance of the park, where we’ll get in the vehicle and drive for a few minutes toward the entry. Upon our arrival we’ll visit the powerful Petrohue Falls with its turquoise waters; there are three beautiful waterfalls that make their way through solid basaltic rocks that once came from the depths of the earth. If the weather permits, we will have a view of the Osorno Volcano (2652 m / 8,700 ft) with its rounded top; the volcano appears so close that it becomes the perfect backdrop for such an idyllic landscape.
After a few minutes of wandering around the picture-perfect surroundings and taking photos, we’ll walk for 20 minutes through an easy and even trail called Los Enamorados (the lovers), passing by the shores of the river Petrohué and the pristine native forest. If we are lucky, we can spot the ringed kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata stellata) that can be seen perched on a branch looking for fish in the clear-water ponds. Then we go back to the vehicles and head to the amazingly gorgeous Todos Los Santos Lake (all the saints) where we spend some more time enjoying the scenery.
Return to your hotel. End of services.

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The Alerce Andino National Park is a mountainous zone that covers 39.225 hectares (96.927 acres) situated east of Puerto Montt City, between the Gulf and the Estuary of Reloncaví and south of Chapo Lake. It boasts of over 20.000 hectares of Larch trees forest (Fitzroya cupressoides) and around 50 small lakes scattered throughout this uneven geography. It is an ideal place for trekking, mountain climbing, hiking and nature watching.

Traveling from Puerto Montt, the park is 40 km away (25 miles), taking around 1½ hours by van. The road is considered the starting point of the world famous Austral Road (Carretera Austral), passing by beautiful evergreen forests, farm fields and amazing mountain peaks.  We’ll walk through the native forest on an even trail that is covered by a dozen of different kinds of ferns and moss. The trail leads to a nice-looking cascade and takes only 20 minutes to complete.

Then we continue walking on the main road of the park, until we get to the entry of a challenging trail that will take us through a larch tree forest called El Rodazal. We’ll have to put a lot of effort because this trail is like a natural stairway that ascends endlessly for 3 hours of hiking. You will witness the grandeur of nature as we encounter huge larch trees with trunks of over 4 m in diameter and 50 m high. We'll also be able to spot endemic birds such as the Magellan woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus), and possibly catch a glimpse of the curious Chucao tapaculo (Selorchilis rubecula). Return to the vehicles and transfer to the city. End of services.

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