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Sur Chico

Hence begins the Chilean south. The regions of La Araucanía, Los Ríos and the Lakes District jar travelers with menacing ice-topped volcanoes, glacial lakes overflowing with what looks like melted jade, roaring rivers running through old-growth forests and coastal enclaves inhabited by the indomitable Mapuche people. Sur Chico is home to eight spectacular national parks, many harboring exquisitely conical volcanoes, and is a magnetic draw for outdoor-adventure enthusiasts and devil-may-care thrill seekers.

Peppered about sprawling workhorse travel hubs, you'll find well-developed lakeside hamlets, most notably Pucón and Puerto Varas, dripping in charm and draped by stunning national parks and nature reserves, each one like an Ansel Adams photograph leaping from the frame. But the region – call it Patagonia Lite – isn't all so perfectly packaged. Off-the-beaten path destinations like the Río Cochamó Valley and Caleta Cóndor reward the intrepid spectacularly, their isolation fodder for that ever-elusive travel nirvana.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Sur Chico.

  • See

    Teatro del Lago

    This amazing 12-years-in-the-making, US$25-million world-class performing-arts center opened in 2010, and has single-handedly put Frutillar on the global cultural map. The striking copper-roofed structure is a thing of beauty in itself, flanked against the lake with postcard views of four volcanoes. Daily 45-minute tours start at noon throughout the year (CH$4500). Inside, it houses a state-of-the-art 1178-seat concert hall – acoustically insured by beautiful beechwood walls – and a second 278-seat amphitheater, as well as a pizzeria and lakeside cafe (sandwiches CH$6500 to CH$7500). It currently hosts a wealth of cultural events, including the music festival, and attracts internationally known orchestras and artists in all genres. Check the website for what's on during your visit.

  • See

    Territorio Mapa Lahual

    Territorio Mapa Lahual protects some 60,000 hectares of mature forest and indigenous territories south of San Juan de la Costa and into Río Negro province. It began after a decade of sustainable tourism research by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which prompted these off-the-beaten-path communities to welcome etnoturismo as a way to earn a proud living. You'll find postcard-perfect bays and beaches along the coast as well as Valdivian forest treks and rural Huilliche homestays inland. Territorio Mapa Lahual is also home to Chile's aspiring Burning Man–esque festival in miniature, Festival Nómade, which started in Caleta Cóndor but has since moved on to Manquemapu. It takes place in February.

  • See

    Parque Nacional Puyehue

    Parque Nacional Puyehue protects 1070 sq km of stark landscape defined by sand dunes and lava rivers, the result of Volcán Puyehue's 1960 eruption that turned a dense, humid evergreen forest into an otherworldly contrasting environment forge by Mother Nature's might. There are also several hikes that explore more pristine areas of the national park. Aguas Calientes is the main sector of the park, with a hot-springs resort and Conaf’s Centro de Información Ambiental.

  • See

    Parque Tagua-Tagua

    Carved out of virgin Valdivian rainforest 15km east of Puelo, Parque Tagua-Tagua is southern Chile's latest park. A private initiative funded by Universidad Mayor in Santiago and managed by Mítico Puelo Lodge and Miralejos Chile Adventure, the park preserves 3000 hectares of previously unseen alerce forest along with two lakes, Lago Alerce and Lago Quetrus, bounded by granite mountains. Trekking and climbing are big draws here, as is bird-watching and the chance of spotting pudú (small deer), puma and condors. There are three basic but well-made alerce refugios (rustic shelters) with bathrooms, solar panels and wood-burning stoves in the park, built along its 25km of trails that traverse rivers via well-built wooden bridges. The park has a limited capacity established by the fragility of its ecosystem and visits are possible by reservation only. To get here, catch the once-a-day Lago Tagua-Tagua–bound bus from Puerto Montt (7:45am) or Puerto Varas (8:20am), which meets the ferry at the edge of Lago Tagua-Tagua. Make sure you have called ahead to park officials, who will meet you on the other side of the Tagua-Tagua ferry crossing (Puerto Maldonado) for the final 10-minute boat ride to the park.

  • See

    Parque Punta Curiñanco

    The 80-hectare Parque Punta Curiñanco, 35km northwest of Valdivia in Curiñanco, is a unique piece of Valdivian rainforest featuring four types of subforest within its boundaries. It's great for hiking and there are spectacular ocean views and a long, beautiful beach. Keep an eye out for the Darwin's frogs; they look conspicuously like an autumn leaf. To get here from Valdivia, grab a bus marked Curiñanco (CH$1300, 45 minutes) to the left of the bridge to Isla Teja (on the Valdivia side) or from the bus terminal and take it all the way the end of the road. The entrance to the park is hidden behind two private properties, marked by a red sign about 20m or so from the end of the road, on your left just next to a downtrodden bus stop. Follow the signs 100m or so to the entrance; there's a little house where a man will open the gate to the park and take your entry fee.

  • See

    Santuario El Cañi

    The nature sanctuary El Cañi is proof that concerned citizens can make a difference and affect conservation of old-growth forests. When logging interests threatened the area in 1991, Fundación Lahuén, a small cluster of concerned folks with start-up funding from Ancient Forests International, formed to purchase the land and develop a drop-dead-gorgeous park with an emphasis on education and scientific research. This success story is now a reserve that protects some 500 hectares of ancient araucaria forest, all of which has been turned over and now successfully maintained by a local guide association, Cañi Guides Group.

  • See

    Saltos del Petrohué

    Six kilometers southwest of Petrohué, the Saltos del Petrohué is a rushing, frothing waterfall raging through a narrow volcanic rock canyon carved by lava. Anyone wondering why the rafting trips don’t start from the lake will find the answer here, although experienced kayakers have been known to take it on. Parking is CH$1000. A new well-done visitor center houses a cafe and handicrafts shops. Try to arrive in the sweet spot between 9am and 9:15am before the TurisTour day-tour bus unloads the masses.

  • See

    Paseo Patrimonial

    Many notable constructions in town are private houses from the early 20th century. Grab a city map at the tourist office to follow the Paseo Patrimonial, a walking tour of historic homes listed as Monumentos Nacionales. Several of these houses serve as hospedajes, including the 1941–42 Casa Schwerter (Del Carmen 873), the 1930 Casa Hitschfeld (Prat 107) and the 1930 Casa Wetzel (O’Higgins 608).

  • See

    Museo Histórico Alemán

    The Museo Histórico Colonial Alemán was built with assistance from Germany and is managed by the Universidad Austral. It features nearly perfect reconstructions of a water-powered mill, a blacksmith's house and a farmhouse and belfry set among manicured gardens. It is considered the best museum on German colonialism in the region.