LAKES AND VOLCANOES

It is at the Araucania that the voyage begins,
more precisely at Temuco, the region’s capital,
located at 700 km from Santiago. Other important
cities in the area are Valdivia and Osorno and, a little
bit southern, Puerto Montt, which is the starting point
of the Austral Route. Full of history and culture, these
cities have received much influence at different periods;
the most influential one being the German culture, noticiable
today in the architectonic style of constructions and by the
physical characteristics of its inhabitants. Lands of the Mapuches,
it is in this area that the last survivors, who forbade the invaders
to come this far, are living nowadays. However it is a region dominated
by the volcanoes of the Andes Range, natural frontier with Argentina and by numerous lakes. This area offers the visitor a wealth of natural possibilities. Here you will be able to practice various activities, such as climbing volcanoes, trout and salmon fly fishing, horse back riding, ski, rafting or even take a bath in one of the many thermal springs or a lake.
The villages of Pucon, Puerto Varas or Frutillar are so many invitations to stop, and enjoy. These little towns located on the shore of a lake, where whether during the summer or the winter you’ll be able to spend a wonderful evening at the casino, after a full day of sporting or leisure activities.
The lake’s crossing to the city of Bariloche in Argentina is an excellent way to cross the frontier.