Parque Nacional Conguillío
The 3125m Volcán Llaima, one of Chile's most active volcanoes, forms the focal point of Parque Nacional Conguillío and the Unesco Biosphere Reserve in…
Getty Images/Flickr Open
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.
Explore Sur Chico
- Parque Nacional Conguillío
The 3125m Volcán Llaima, one of Chile's most active volcanoes, forms the focal point of Parque Nacional Conguillío and the Unesco Biosphere Reserve in…
- RReserva Nacional Malalcahuello-Nalcas
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…
- TTeatro 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…
- HHuilo-Huilo Biological Reserve
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…
- PParque Nacional Villarrica
Towering over the adventure capital of Pucón, Volcán Villarica is the centerpiece of Parque Nacional Villarrica, one of the most popular parks in Chile…
- TTerritorio 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…
- PParque Nacional Huerquehue
The 125-sq-km preserve, founded in 1912, is a little wonderland of waterfalls, alpine lakes and araucaria forests and the creatures that traverse them,…
- PParque 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…
- MMuseo de Volcanes
The stone-domed Museo de Volcanes is Sur Chico's most impressive archeological museum, covering Chilean indigenous cultures, including one of the best…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Sur Chico.
See
Parque Nacional Conguillío
The 3125m Volcán Llaima, one of Chile's most active volcanoes, forms the focal point of Parque Nacional Conguillío and the Unesco Biosphere Reserve in…
See
Reserva Nacional Malalcahuello-Nalcas
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…
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…
See
Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve
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…
See
Parque Nacional Villarrica
Towering over the adventure capital of Pucón, Volcán Villarica is the centerpiece of Parque Nacional Villarrica, one of the most popular parks in Chile…
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…
See
Parque Nacional Huerquehue
The 125-sq-km preserve, founded in 1912, is a little wonderland of waterfalls, alpine lakes and araucaria forests and the creatures that traverse them,…
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…
See
Museo de Volcanes
The stone-domed Museo de Volcanes is Sur Chico's most impressive archeological museum, covering Chilean indigenous cultures, including one of the best…
Guidebooks
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