Things to do in Villarrica
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Volcán Villarrica
It may seem shocking that so many people live and go about their daily chores in the shadow of the smoking and rumbling Volcán Villarrica. The 2847m-high cone is a basaltic volcano with an open crater and a violent history that includes at least four fatal eruptions. Carbon dating has determined that Villarrica had a massive eruption around 1810 BC.
The first historically recorded eruption was in AD 1558 and since then, the volcano has had small to medium eruptions on well over 50 occasions. The largest modern eruptions were in 1640, 1948 and 1971.
That 1971 eruption opened a 4km-wide fissure, spurting out some 30 million cubic meters of lava and displacing several rivers…
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Museo Histórico y Arqueológico
Mapuche artifacts – including jewelry, musical instruments and roughly hewn wooden masks – are the focus of the Museo Histórico y Arqueológico, alongside the tourist office. Gracing the grounds is a Mapuche ruka, oblong-shaped with thatched walls and roof, traditionally built by four men in four days under a reciprocal labor system known as minga. Reeds from the lake provide the thatch, which is so skillfully intertwined that water cannot penetrate even in this very damp climate.
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The Travellers
Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Italian – it’s a passport for your palette at this resto-bar that is Ground Zero for foreigners. The walls are lined with classic B+W pop culture pinups and postcards from amigos the world over, and the music is equally all over the map (Shania Twain to Tom Jones?). German and English traveler advice is available, and so are half-priced drinks at the lengthy Happy Hour (6:30pm to 9:30pm). These guys know their stuff – they knew we wrote for a guidebook within seconds.
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El Rey del Marisco
There’s a perfect balance of whimsical aquatic art and colorful tablecloths at this don’t-miss seafooder. There are 29 types of fish and the chef has worked all over Chile. Start with the near-perfect pisco sours and shellfish empanadas, move on to congrio, salmon, trout, lenguado or corvina prepared numerous ways.
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Fly Fishing
Local fishing is good, especially on the Río Toltén, but first obtain a license from the Municipalidad. The season runs from the second week of November to the second week of May. Fly-fishing operators include Süd Explorer, next to the tourist office, and Gastón Balboa is a knowledgeable fishing guide.
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Restaurant Kiel
If you've been missing your yacht club back home head to Kiel, where you can dine in style around a roaring fireplace and enjoy views of the lake. Try the baked trout stuffed with veggies and crabmeat or the lomo yachting, a choice pork chop with grilled tomatoes and cheese served with Arabian rice.
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Vecchia Cucina
You’ll want to genuflect when they bring out the Italian flatbread instead of ubiquitous tortillas at this, ‘the old kitchen,’ which specializes in antiquated northern Italian recipes. All the ample pasta options are made in-house. Whoever cleans the wine glasses should be fired, though.
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Feria Artesanal
The Feria Artesanal has all the typical tourist wares, the most interesting of which are the Mapuche figures carved from laurel wood and raulí wood bowls.
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Café Bar 2001
The breakfast special here for CH$2000 nabs you küchen, toast, juice and coffee, though they don’t open until 9am. There is also a decent selection of rarer microbrews.
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Politur
Can arrange many tours, including rafting, kayaking, canyoning, snowsports and horse treks.
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Tejidos Ray-Ray
Tejidos Ray-Ray sells sweaters and brightly colored wool yarn by the kilo.
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