Pucón and Villarrica Tourist and Travel Guide

Villarrica is located 87 kilometers southeast of the city of Temuco, in the 9th region. It is located on the shores of Lake Villarrica, a place of nice resort spas such as Pucón and Licanray.

Another attraction is the Villarrica Volcano, which is active and has a permanent plume. Its height is about 2840 meters altitude and at its northern slope is the Pucon Ski Center.

This is the sixth oldest city in Chile, but because of its past battles between Spaniards and Indians, most of its colonial buildings were destroyed. Thus, Villarrica has a rather rustic style with traditional buildings such as the Catedral (Cathedral), the Municipalidad (Municipality) and the headquarters of the Diocesis, plus some modern features like the regional campus of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica.

The climate of Villarica is temperate oceanic style, with warm temperatures in summer, cold in winter and the presence of rainfall throughout the year. The annual average temperature is 22º C.

The city is located in a ecological Mediterranean type zone, where there is lot of vegetation, favored by the constant rains throughout all months of the year, especially in winter. Some of the native species of the sector are oak, myrtle, araucaria, coigue and mañio.

It is also home to wildlife like pudú, fox, puma, coipo, wild boar, deer and birds such as condors, woodpeckers, parrots, owls and other native birds. In its waters you can find salmon and rainbow trout, so sport fishing can be done.

Among the main attractions in Villarrica we find the Costanera (waterfront), that borders the lake on the way to Pucon, LicanRay, the Muestra Cultural Mapuche, recreational activities such as sport fishing and other excursions on the river Toltén, as well as activities during the summer such as the Noche del Lago and cultural events.

Pucon, on the other hand, is located about 15 miles away from Villarrica, on the east bank of the lake. It is the largest lake resort of Chile and the "capital of adventure tourism" of Chile.

It is highlighted for its beaches and beautiful natural surroundings with year round snow-capped mountains, coniferous forests, rushing rivers, waterfalls, lakes and rapids, plus ski resorts and hot spring facilities. Because of its many attractions it is a place that can be visited all year round.

An example of this is the Villarrica National Park, 12 kilometers from Pucón, where the Pucon ski center is found, where you can find camping areas, lakes and volcanoes in over 60 thousand acres. Moreover, within this park you can visit the Centro de Ski Pucón Ski (Pucon Ski Center).

Other natural areas are the Villarrica National Reserve and the Huerquehue National Park.

History

The Valdivia area began to fill in 8000 BC, but the first traces of a population organized emerged between 300 and 1200 AD, where groups of hunter-gatherers who developed an incipient agriculture and livestock appeared. Over time these groups would become the Mapuche tribe.

In 1552, the Spaniard Geronimo de Alderete founded Villarrica on the banks of the Tolten river and the west side of Lake Villarrica, formerly Mallalafquén. Gold mines were expected to be found in the area and turned into a passage between the Pampas and the Atlantic.

The constant battles with the Mapuche broke the peace of the newly founded city, being evacuated in 1554 after the Battle of Tucapel. After being abandoned, it was completely destroyed by the Mapuche. That same year in October, Villarrica was resettled and started a large growth in the mining of gold and silver.

This boom lasted until 1598, with the Battle of Curalaba where the Mapuche were winners. They maintained their siege on the city until 1602, when again and definitely took it over and burned down what was left of their buildings.

The ruins of the city of Villarrica were abandoned for 280 years. In 1882, after the Parliament of Putue, they were able to approve the rebuilding of the area. In 1883 a fort was built in the area now corresponds to Pucon.

From the beginning years of Villarrica as a city, its beautiful surroundings, hot springs, lakes and snow-capped volcano became a tourist attraction spot, and in 1923 the first hotel was inaugurated in the city. Some boats made trips to Pucon tours to the volcano crater.

Pucon was always a vacation destination, especially visited by German settlers. This area, which was a military settlement in its beginning, to protect the borders of Villarrica, and became an attractive place that led to the construction of a hotel by part of the Ferrocarriles del Estado (State Railways), with a railway that made trips by train toto the zone.

With it, new hotels were established in the area, allowing sustained growth of the tourism industry which reached its peak in the 80s, and it is maintained until today.

Where to go

Avenida Costanera de Villarrica: (Costanera de Villarica Avenue)