We drove for 2 hours on a decent road from Valdivia to Pucón,  a lovely spot in the Araucanía Region. It is set on picturesque Lago Villarrica, under the watchful eye of the smoldering volcano of the same name.  Volcán Villarrica, incidentally, had a major eruption right after we visited last year.  This year we were there earlier in the season and we hoped there would be less tourists. Pucón is a mecca for both summer and winter adventure sports, with many activities to choose from. Our cousins Alfonso and Ana had generously allowed us to stay in their vacation condo. We had amazing weather and 3 days before New Years Eve to explore.

We began with a hike in one of the beautiful parks near Pucón. Parque Nacional Huerquehue, 35 km to the southwest, is lovely, with gorgeous aquamarine lakes surrounded by old growth araucaria forests, rivers and waterfalls. At the Visitor Center we decided on the Los Lagos Trail. We were told that it would take us about 4 hours, 12 km roundtrip. Quite doable, we thought. The hike consisted of switchbacks from 700 to 1300 m through dense lenga forest.

Along the way we were on the lookout for local wildlife. This park boasts a long list of interesting creatures and I had hoped to see a pudú, the world’s smallest deer, but had to settle for an araña pollito (a tarantula-like spider) and some lizards that were basking in the sun.

The trail turned out to be steeper than we had thought but the higher we climbed, the more spectacular the alpine scenery became.  It was hot, though, and we were not protected by the forest’s shade in some places  Even our fit millennial daughters grew weary as we reached the top!  Even so, we all agreed that it had been well worth the climb!

 

We had fun checking out Pucón, browsing its artisan markets and trying some of its great restaurant options. The sunset on Lago Villarrica was awesome too. From Pucón it is also a short distance to Parque Nacional Villarrica to see the volcano.

At the village of Curarrehue we learned more about Mapuche culture.  The Mapuches, who comprise 80% of the population here, are the dominant indigenous culture in Chile. They are well known for their resistance to the Spanish invasion and their political activism continues to this day. We visited their small museum though I thought the one we had seen in Cañete was more informative.  We bought earrings at the market there.

At the artisan market we learned about Juanita, a woman who raises sheep, dyes and then spins her own yarn to create tasteful woven designs. We set out to find her and finally did, though only Andrea and Danielle hiked up a steep dusty hill in the midday heat to find her house!  Juanita warmly welcomed them and took them on a tour of her workshop and small farm where she raises sheep and grows fruit and vegetables to make natural yarn dye. There is an apiary as well. The tour included a demonstration of how she cards the wool and weaves it on her loom. They both returned with woven souvenirs and fruit from her garden!

Another highlight of our visit to Carerrehue was our lunch at Cocina Mapuche Mapu Lyagi, where chef Anita Epulef turns seasonal ingredients into adventurous Mapuche tasting menus.  Most of the ingredients were organically grown in her garden. She explained our menu before it was served to us. It was all so unusual but delicious, including the roasted corn bread that was served with a variety of salsas.

After our meal we headed for the beach at Lican Ray on the north shore of Lago Calafquén.  The water was cold but the setting made up for it.

New Years Eve finally arrived and our cousins joined us for a night of fun and fireworks over Lago Villarrica.  First we had a fabulous paella dinner, prepared by their friend José.  Andrea whipped up a beautiful fruit salad and we contributed ice cream and apple küchen.  Ana provided the crazy New Years hats and we had a great time!

After a boat ride on Lago Villarrica and lunch it was time for us to leave our family and friends in Pucón.  The time went too quickly and we needed to head toward Santiago.

There wasn’t much time for sightseeing in Santiago but we enjoyed meeting cousin Alfonso and having dinner with his family.

On our girls’ last day, we made a brief stop in the cerros (hills) of Valparaiso to see some of the city’s iconic urban art. Then we continued through the beaches of Viña del Mar and Concón to meet our cousin Mauricio and his family.   He had prepared a delicious barbecue lunch for us and we spent a wonderful afternoon getting acquainted with them.

We left for Santiago Airport and had a bit of time together before saying hasta pronto!  Having las hijas with us had been the best part of getting to know our Chilean cousins.