Sur Chico

Caleta Cóndor, part of the protected indigenous zone of Territorio Mapa Lahual, is an impossibly gorgeous bay almost completely off the grid – communication with the outside world here was until very recently via VHF radio only! If the weather is clear, arriving here is miraculous. As you enter via the scenic and translucent Río Cholguaco from the Pacific, you are greeted with an idyllic combination of nature (moss-strewn thatches of land that line the river like wild putting greens, flush with horses and seabirds, backed by hillsides peppered with beautiful luma and arrayán trees) and nurture (20 or so families – all running on solar power – call this piece of paradise home on a permanent basis). It all culminates at the river's end on a sandbar strip of out-of-place Tropicalia that separates the river beach and the ocean beach. Heaven? Quite possibly.

Serving up one of the most dramatic landscapes in all of Sur Chico and easily the jewel of northern Araucanía’s protected reserves, the 303 sq km Reserva Nacional Malalcahuello-Nalcas is a combined reserve just north of the small hamlet of Malalcahuello. An ashy desertscape of sand and cinders not unlike how we all imagine Mars, the reserve protects an otherworldly atmosphere of singed landscape surrounding Cráter Navidad, formed on Christmas Day 1988 when Volcán Lonquimay blew its top.

Pucón is firmly positioned on the global map as a center for adventure sports; its setting on beautiful Lago Villarrica under the smoldering eye of the volcano of the same name seals its status as a world-class destination for adrenaline junkies. Once a summer playground for the rich, Pucón is now a year-round adventure machine catering to all incomes, especially in February (a time to avoid, if possible), when it is absolutely overrun. The town receives alternating floods of package tourists, Santiago holidaymakers, novice Brazilian snowboarders, adventure-seeking backpackers, new-age spiritualists and mellowed-out ex-activists turned eco-pioneers.

While its popularity can be off-putting for some, Pucón boasts the best small-town tourism infrastructure south of Costa Rica. That means quality accommodations, efficient tourism agencies, hundreds of activities and excursions, vegetarian restaurants, falafel, microbrews and hundreds of expat residents from the world over.

Two menacing, snowcapped volcanoes, Osorno and Calbuco, stand sentinel over picturesque Puerto Varas and its scenic Lago Llanquihue like soldiers of adventure, allowing only those on a high-octane quest to pass. Just 23km from Puerto Montt but worlds apart in charm, scenery and options for the traveler, Puerto Varas has been previously touted as the 'next Pucón,' but unlike its kindred spirit to the north, Puerto Varas has been able to better manage its rise as a go-to destination for outdoor adventure sports. As a result, it avoids some of the tourist-package onslaught that besieges Pucón.

With all of the conveniences of Puerto Montt just a short trip away, Puerto Varas is a top choice for an extended stay and also makes a good base for exploring the region. Some find it too touristy, but its juxtaposition of German heritage and contemporary Chilean adrenaline is both beautiful and addictive.

Parque Nacional Villarrica is one of the most popular parks in the country because of its glorious mix of volcanoes and lakes. Its proximity to Pucón, with all of the town's tourism infrastructure, also makes Villarrica an unusually accessible park for everyone from bus-trippers to climbers, skiers and hard-core hikers.

The highlights of the 630-sq-km park are the three volcanoes: Villarrica (2847m) – which erupted briefly but spectacularly in March 2015; Quetrupillán (2360m); and, along the Argentine border, a section of Lanín (3747m). The rest of Lanín is protected in an equally impressive park in Argentina, from where it may be climbed.

Since the 2015 eruption, high alerts have been occasionally issued – please check the situation on the ground ahead of your visit.

Llaima means 'Blood Veins' in Mapudungun and that is exactly what tourists who were visiting Parque Nacional Conguillío, and its towering Volcán Llaima (3125m), saw on New Year's Day 2008. The centerpiece of this Unesco Biosphere Reserve (and the Geoparque Kütralcura within) is one of Chile's most active volcanoes. Since 1640 Llaima has experienced 35 violent eruptions. The Mapuche believe this impressive flamethrower is a living spirit, who is rather enthusiastically coughing up the earth's imbalances as punishment. Despite the fire spitting, this wonderful park – which was created in 1950 primarily to preserve the araucaria and 608 sq km of alpine lakes, deep canyons and native forests – is open. The gray-brown magma that has accumulated over the years is to blame for the dramatic vistas and eerie lunarscape atmosphere – at its most dramatic, perhaps, in late April when the leaves are in full autumn bloom.

From Cochamó, a splendid 12km trek that goes through the deep Valdivian rainforest and along the Río Cochamó brings you to La Junta, an impressive valley situated under the watch of massive granite domes jutting from the top of the surrounding mountains. Though they haven't built a road here (yet!), the valley grew a bit too fast for its own good and, since 2013, has evolved from a secret rock-climbing Eden to an overcrowded camping and party scene, at least in February. (Chilean adventure-outfitter Lippi even sells a Cochamó-branded day pack and it is estimated some 15,000 to 18,000 visitors make the trek up between December and March.) But it remains a gorgeous and serene spot and nearly everyone who goes up for a day wishes they had allotted more time to enjoy the supreme scenery and outstanding trekking. In January, the tábanos (horseflies) can be relentless.

If all that climbing, trekking, paddling and cycling have left your bones rattled and your muscles begging for mercy, you're in luck. Pucón's environs are sitting on one of the world's biggest natural Jacuzzis. Hot springs are as common as adventure outfitters around here, but Termas Geométricas stands out above the crowd.

This conservation project, begun in 2000, encompasses 1000 sq km of private land that has been developed for low-impact ecotourism and falls within a much larger Unesco biosphere reserve. There is a wealth of excursions and a bevy of lodging for all budgets, including five spectacularly insane and surreal hotels.