Pucón: History

Pre-20th-Century History

As the Spanish conquistadors pushed their way south from present-day Santiago, they were motivated by stories of precious metals and the possibility of a large, docile indigenous work force. The land of La Araucanía and the Lakes District would be the ideal territory to continue the imperial dream...or maybe not. The Mapuche waged one of the fiercest and most successful defences against the European invaders anywhere in the Americas, and the Spanish were not able to settle south of the Biobío river until the mid- to late 19th century.

Modern History

Pucón was founded in the late 19th century as the Spanish pushed further into the interior to pacify the region. A military garrison was built, but it wasn't long before the town's beautiful setting attracted settlers to the area.

Germans were recruited to take up land in and around the Lakes District, leaving their mark on architecture, food, manufacturing and dairy farming.

The powerful volcano looming over Pucón, Villarrica, has erupted twice over the last century, in 1948 and 1971. The 1971 eruption opened a fissure that was 4km (2.4mi) wide, spurting out some 30 million cubic meters of lava and displacing several rivers. However, no one is known to have been killed by lava from an eruption. It was mud flow that caused loss of life with every fatal eruption - melted glacial ice mixed with earth sent waves of mud down the mountain.

Recent History

Today, hordes of national and international tourists, plus wealthy Santiago refugees looking for country homes, are doing more than anybody to continue to tame and colonize these once wild lands. Tourism, logging and salmon farming are driving the future of this beautiful region.

Meanwhile, real estate prices are skyrocketing and the several hundred thousand remaining Mapuche have been pushed further and further into the countryside.

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