Chile - Pucón
Pucón Chile and the larger Araucan Region has long been famous for its volcanoes, hot springs, lakes and rivers. Its natural beauty has drawn Chilean and international tourists for years. Today, the biggest draw is its easily accessible adventure sports: white water rafting, volcano climbing, horseback riding and zip lines, just to name a few. We really wanted to check it out, but we weren't exactly sure what, if any, of the activities would be suitable for the boyz. Luckily, the place we chose to stay, Miradores Los Volcanes, turned out to be the perfect basecamp for us to explore the area.
The lodge is nestled on the hillside above the valley connecting Lago Villarrica and Lago Caburgua about 20 minutes Northeast of Pucon. Each of the generously sized freestanding cabins has a fabulous view of the valley and Volcán Villarrica. Cristian and Graciela, the husband and wife team that own and operate the lodge, have done a tremendous job to turn their property into a giant playground for kids and adults. With a giant treehouse, a trampoline, swings, a zip line, climbing wall, walking trails and indoor and outdoor pools, we spent half of each day just playing at the lodge.
The other half of each day we found some adventures perfect for the boyz. We went fishing, rafting, kayaking and swimming in some of the coldest glacier fed water even I (from Alaska) have ever felt. Our guide from Kayak Chile made sure we were warned and fitted us all with wetsuits. The water was still cold but the family float was a perfect way to spend the afternoon on a hot day.
Our last day in Pucón we tried to hike to the three lakes in the Huerquehue National Park but high winds and fire danger closed the the park at the ranger station and we were turned away. So, instead we played in the waters of Lago Tinquilca and eventually found our way to los Tres Saltas a beautiful set of three waterfalls.
Of all the places we had been so far this one was the hardest to leave. Thanks to Cristian and Graciela, the lodge kept the boyz busy with activities. This gave JZ and I some time to enjoy ourselves as well. Also, although Pucón is geared to older kids and adults, we felt like there was quite a bit more exploring we could do if we had more time. I could definitely see myself returning when the boyz are older.
Our Chile experience has come to a wonderful end. Next (and last stop) Argentina!
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