PUCóN AND VILLARRICA

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.