In this section we introduce different walking excursions within the Pucón and Curarrehue regions. Some are easy to make and even people with no experience can do them by themselves. Others are more demanding and knowledge in orientation and cartography are a must, otherwise you must take a guide to come with you.

If you contact us with time, in TravelAid we can contact an English or German speaking guide that knows the place to drive along with you, or just help you find transportation to the desired area.
Besides, we have maps of the zone, GPS devices uploaded with tracks and waypoints of the desired excursion, and -if carrying your own GPS- we can sell you this information to load into your device.

Most of the hikes go along protected areas like national parks or reservations. Sometimes the access is through private roads. It is important to respect these private properties, close carefully all gates that you must cross, and always ask for permission to pass. If a gate is locked and there is no house nearby to ask, you must leave your car in a place not blocking the way. However -save by the times there are signs "Prohibida la entrada" or "no Pasar" meaning "No Trespassing"- the owners generally don't bother if you follow the marked trail. You must try to make the less impact possible avoiding littering, pull out plants, scratching trees or making bonfires in places not allowed for it.

It is a little known hike, eventhough it is close to Pucón. Its main attractions are the wonderfull views towards the volcano and the lake, and a bizarre formation of small craters inside a lava field.

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Interesting hike to the most accessible glacier of the Villarrica volcano. It doesn't match the typical image of a glacier, since it is covered with volcanic ashes. The trail starts in a beautiful araucaria forest and offers impressive views to five volcanoes.

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Excursion that goes along the east side of the Villarrica volcano through a high volcanic desert, that sometimes looks like a moon landscape. You can see several ancient secondary craters and there is a good view towards the Quetrupillán, Lanín and Llaima, but you can seldom spot the top of the Villarrica itself.
It is possible to combine this excursions with the trail “Challupén – Chinay” and get almost all around the Villarrica in three days, or –making the hike the other way round- start here the traverse towards Laguna Los Patos and Puesco.

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Interesting excursion that shows you the areas that were affected by ancient lahares (volcanic slides) and lava flows that created a number of waterfalls. It offers spectacular views to the Villarrica volcano and an impressive contrast between barren volcanic dumps and areas of lush forests. Eventhough the area is very close to Pucón, and some parts are inside the Villarrica National Park, it is not a very visited place.

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The Quetrupillán, 2.382 meters high, is located just in the middle of the well known volcanoes Villarrica and Lanín. It is a good alternative for those who want to avoid the crowds that daily climb the Villarrica. The view is equaly spectacular, but it is not an active volcano. Many people consider its ascent more attractive, since part of if goes through a lush forest. Until the beginning of the summer (mid December) there are still snow fields, but no glaciers to be aware of.

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It is the first part of the famous trekking known as the “Villarrica Traverse”, which crosses through the namesake National Park, from the Villarrica volcano until Puesco, almost at the border with Argentina. This part gets around an active volcano through its west and south sides, offering spectacular views to its glaciers and lakes below. Most of the time the hike goes over the limit of the forest, the trail crosses areas of ancient lava flows, but also lush lenga and araucaria forests.

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It is the most popular excursion among the ones that last more than one day. It offers a wide variety of landscapes, from different kind of forests, highland pastures and marsh zones, to extensive volcanic dump areas and highland deserts. It also visits three lagoons that could not be more different from each other.
This trail is part of the “Sendero de Chile”, a project to connect the whole country through a pedestrian trail from north to south, and that should be finished by 2010 to commemorate the bicentenary of the Chilean Independence.

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It is the most popular excursion inside the Huerquehue N.P. Its main attraction are the ancient araucaria forests that surround the lakes in the upper part. Watching them is an overwhelming experiencie that makes us think about the smallnes of the human being in comparisson to Nature. In summer, the brave ones can even swim in the cold waters. You will also see a variety of birds, specially ducks, and with luck and patience, you will be able to see the woodpecker with its impressive red head.

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Inside the Huerquehue National Park there are other less visited trails than the one to the lakes. There is a trail that climbs the Cerro Quinchol, which lays east of the Tinquilco lake. From its summit there is a wonderful view to different volcanoes and mountains.
From Cerro Quinchol there is also the possiblity to extend the excursion through the trail San Sebastián until reaching the summit of the namesake mountain, which with almost 2000 meters height is one of the highest in the park.

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Short hike towards a remote lagoon in the middle of the Andes, surrounded by araucarias. It offers spectacular views towards the snow covered summit of the Sollipulli. However, since it is at a considerable distance from Pucón, it is better to combine this circuit with other excursions, instead of making it a day hike.

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El Cañi is small private protected reservation area, on the way to Huife. Its main attractions are the breath taking araucarias, several small highland lagoons and the most impressive view in 360° of the region.

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