The laid-back city of Pucon is perfectly placed by being on the shore of Villarrica Lake while under the watchful eye of the snow-capped Villarrica Volcano. Because of this position, Pucon can satisfy almost all visitors. From lying on the beach to hiking in the mountains, there are plenty of ways to explore nature. Located in Chile’s Lake District, Pucon has been a favourite Chilean escape for years, but word is starting to spread, making it popular with international tourists too. Let’s see what makes Pucon so popular.
Pucon’s Early Days
German immigrants settled in the area in the early 1900s. They were brought to the Lake District by Santiago businessmen who offered them work in the lumber and cattle industries. Because of its natural beauty, the area began to attract attention from Chileans too, and by the 1920s, Chile’s Lake District (Lago Region) was a popular vacation destination. The first hotel was built in 1923, and was quickly followed by others, built and run by German families. As the resort town grew, so did the German influence. Since then, it has greatly expanded to become one of the most popular vacation spots in Chile.
What to do in Pucon
The resort town’s downtown is a great introduction to the city. O’Higgins Avenue is the main hub, but with a rose garden in its meridian and European alpine style buildings along either side, it feels very relaxed and welcoming. And it’s not the only one. Most of the streets in the city’s downtown offer similar buildings, giving it a unique feel in Chile.
Making Pucon even more special are the views of the snow-capped Villarrica Volcano at the end of these streets. Topped by a 2-km-wide caldera that formed about 3,500 years ago, it is the perfect cone-shaped volcano.
Realizing you are so close to Chile’s most active volcano is a little disconcerting, though. Its last eruption was in March 2015, but rest assured, the volcano is well monitored, so any activity is noted. The city is well prepared for this eventual event with a warning system of green, yellow and red lights posted around the city.
Pucon Marina and Villarrica Lake
Follow O’Higgins Avenue to the marina on Villarrica Lake. It is called La Poza (The Pool) and is used by recreational, fishing and tour boats. As with the downtown, Villarrica Volcano hovers high above. On our first day, the volcano was being very finicky, only coming out from under the clouds for a few seconds at a time. Just enough to let us know it was there, but not enough to show itself entirely. We were patient, though, and by the second day, the clouds had dispersed and unveiled this gorgeous setting.
Sunset is one of the best times to see it, when the peak, its wafting clouds, and the surrounding mountains glow from the sun’s final rays.
Villarrica Lake is also a great place to see water birds, including geese, ducks and grebes. The large bird community provided us with a lot of entertainment. First, we saw a long line of over 20 geese quietly swim between the boats.
Our favourite, though, was watching a Great Grebe pair dance in the water, in a courtship ritual. One nodded, and then the other. Both slowly looked away and then quickly looked back. Then, they chased each other in a circle until meeting in the middle. It was beautifully elegant.
Other birds, though, were more aggressive and chased away those who got too close. We even saw a fight between two geese. It is a fascinating place to watch their different behviours.
Another way to enjoy the lake is from a boat. There are many tour boats, including pirate and viking ships, offering tours of the lake. Prices were very reasonable at 5,000 CLP ($5.50USD) for an hour tour.
Pucon Beach
A hilly peninsula with luxury hotels separates the marina from the pebbly Pucon Beach. On a warm Saturday at the end of January, you could barely see the rough black base between the umbrellas. It was packed with Chilean tourists on their summer vacation. We returned the next morning before the sunbathers arrived, and this time, we could appreciate its lovely mountain setting.
Mapuche Carvings
Even though German immigrants established the resort town, the Mapuche people have lived in the Lake District for many generations. You can find several tributes to this history throughout the city. In the main square, there are several large wooden carvings of Mapuche. Others can be found at the marina.
In addition to visiting the city, don’t forget to explore the many places on the outskirts of Pucon.
Cabargua Lake
Twenty kilometres away from Pucon is another beautiful lake. Sitting on the edge of Villarrica National Park, Cabargua Lake is surrounded by pine forests that climb the mountain slopes. The lake’s name is a Mapuche word meaning ‘scooped out’ in English. This describes its position in a deep cauldron, shaped by glaciers a millennia ago.
Playa Blanca
On the edge of Cabargua Lake, White Beach (Playa Blanca) is ready for families with water slides, bouncy castles, kayak rentals and banana rides. Even though the sand is very coarse, it was busy with beachgoers, and more people were constantly arriving. With temperatures in the mid 20s°C (77°F) and a strong breeze, it was cooler than we typically think of for a beach destination.
Playa Negra
You can walk across Playa Blanca to reach Playa Negra on the other side of a seasonal stream. Its dark sand is finer than Playa Blanca, but for some reason it is not as popular.
Just above the beaches, is the hamlet of Cabargua. There’s not much happening in the village, but it has a great view of Villarrica Volcano.
Ojos de Cabargua
The small Ojos de Cabargua waterfalls are a surprisingly popular activity for visitors to Pucon. When we drove over the Cabargua River, the low water levels made us wonder if we should even bother with the waterfall. It turned out that the falls had plenty of water, and it was a nice stop. It’s actually more than one waterfall because the water drops over the edge from a few different spots, giving you at least 3 different waterfalls.
Ojos de Cabargua translates to Eyes of Cabargua, and is named for the deep pools at their base.
At the end of the trail is a deep pool called Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon). It almost looked like a Mexican cenote to us.
Tip – There are two viewpoints on either side of the river. You can visit both, but not from the same trail or parking lot. We went to the one closer to Pucon, which put us beside the main falls. The other entrance is closer to Lago Cabargua and takes you to the more famous viewpoint. But from either side, the falls are nice but not spectacular.
Entry fee – 3,500CLP ($4USD) and includes parking. Opening Hours – 9am to 7pm.
Getting to Cabargua Lake and Ojos de Cabargua
To reach the lake and the waterfalls, you can catch a bus at the Lago Cabargua Bus Station in Pucon. Buses leave every half hour and the schedule is on Rome to Rio. Tell the driver you want to get off at the Ojos, but you need to know in advance which side you want to see. The bus continues to Cabargua Lake and stops at both Playa Negra and Playa Blanca.
Other things to do when you’re in Pucon:
Villarrica National Park – One of the main draws to Pucon is Villarrica National Park. Unfortunately, the mountain park has many regulations that we weren’t aware of before arriving. To enter the park and hike on any of the trails, you must pre-register online at least the day before. You can not register on the day of your hike. Also, there is a limited number of people allowed on any trail, so even if you do register early, the trails may be at capacity. A final deterrent is that the park’s opening hours are limited and vary by region. Be sure to check these hours before leaving for your hike. You can register and purchase park passes through the CONAF website here.
Many of the hikes can easily be done on your own, but the most popular hike to the summit of Volcan Villarrica requires a guide.
Pucon Ski Resort – In the winter, you can visit Pucon Ski Resort, located on the side of Villarrica Volcano. They apparently have a lot of snow, but wind, sun and the volcano result in less than optimal skiing.
Getting Around Pucon and area
The city is small and very walkable, and in fact, driving looks very frustrating. That’s because there is not much parking, and pedestrians have the right of way, so cars struggle to get through most intersections.
To get to the hiking trails, though, a car would be an asset. You can take the Lago Cabargua bus to reach the lake, Ojos and some of the trailheads, but most require a car.
Some suggest biking to the lake and the hiking trailheads, but the roads are narrow, don’t have a shoulder and are busy with cars. It didn’t look like an enjoyable bike ride to us.
Getting to Pucon
The closest airport is Temuco Airport, 1½ to 2 hours away. If you’re already in Chile, buses travel between Pucon and Puerto Montt (5hrs), Santiago (9hours), Osorno (4 hours) and many others.
Where to stay in Pucon
There are oodles of hotels for every budget in Pucon. It is quite small, so the location isn’t very important. If you have a car, you may want to stay outside the city. You can find several resorts and campgrounds along the road between Pucon and Lake Cabargua.
Pucon is in the middle of Chile in the map below. It is an interactive map, so you can zoom-in, or click on a marker for a link to our post from that region.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Chile.
To read more of our adventures in Chile, click here.
Coming Next – Wine Tasting in Chile’s Colchagua and Elqui Valleys
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