Looking for family adventures? Trekking, kayaking, horseback riding, zip-lining, and biking are some of the outdoor activities awaiting you on the Lakes and Volcanoes Scenic Route.


Going on vacation with the family is always a challenge, especially when it involves members with different personalities, ages, and tastes. Finding an activity that everyone enjoys isn't easy either.

Outdoor activities are a very entertaining alternative. In addition to strengthening family ties, they allow you to connect with nature and create memories that will last a lifetime. The destinations along the Lakes and Volcanoes Scenic Route offer a wide variety of outdoor activities, surrounded by nature, which you can enjoy with expert guides and under optimal safety measures.

With your family, you can go hiking, horseback riding, tree climbing, trekking, kayaking, or biking, among many other activities. These activities can also be combined with visits to hot springs or enjoying the area's rich culinary culture. If you're looking for more adventure, you can explore the Conguillío or Vicente Pérez Rosales National Parks.

At Ruténica, we've selected these suggestions so you can enjoy a fun vacation with your family.

RANCO
–Meeting our ancestors on Huapi Island: An ideal family activity that combines a deep connection with nature and a connection to the ancestral Mapuche culture. On this full-day tour, you can enjoy breakfast at the campfire, a basic Mapudungun workshop, an intercultural guide, and a visit to wool, wood, and medicinal herb crafts. You'll also visit heritage sites, enjoy a picnic lunch, and a Mapuche worldview workshop ( https://shorturl.at/rzJMX ).

–Calcurrupe River Float: This pleasant kayak trip along the Calcurrupe River is an excellent opportunity to relax surrounded by the sounds of nature. For a minimum of two people, the adventure departs at 9:30 a.m. at the meeting point on Route T-85 in Riñiñahue, from where the group and instructors travel to Puerto Los Llolles. After an introduction to the area to be explored, the float begins and lasts until 5:00 p.m., only interrupted for lunch in the Auquinco area, at Quincho Tarague ( https://shorturl.at/glqW2 ).

–Rafting on the Río Bueno: The adventure begins at the instructor agency located in the town of Puerto Nuevo. From there, participants will be transferred to the river entry point, 11 kilometers from the base. After a gentle 600-meter trek, they will board rafts to begin the activity on the crystal-clear waters of the Río Bueno. Classified as Class III (intermediate level), it is ideal for those new to this activity. The expedition faces Class 2 and 3 rapids, and along the way, there are several experiences, such as swimming a Class 2 rapid and jumping from various heights into the riverbed. We will also visit a waterfall and jump from a trapeze into the water. It is a memorable day to enjoy with family or a group of friends ( https://shorturl.at/bgtEI ).

–Biking through Los Mañíos: Connect with nature with this invitation, take advantage of the opportunity to exercise your body and fill it with the best mountain air. The activity begins at the workshop in Lago Ranco, where you will be given a bicycle and the guide will explain the experience to come. Then, the adventure begins, which includes an agrotourism venture where you will enjoy a beautiful view of the lake and a walk along a trail surrounded by native forest and waterfalls ( https://acortar.link/8Tgia2 ).

PUYEHUE
–Puyehue Hot Springs - Indoor Pool: We invite you to recharge your batteries in our large indoor pool of pure, crystalline hot springs, which flow from the land of Puyehue, offering you a truly relaxing and well-being experience. All this with the goal of truly recharging your batteries before returning to work and the routine that comes with it. Don't wait any longer; come and enjoy a restorative moment ( https://n9.cl/zf8yk ).
–Fishing Day at Coto Acuario Lago Puyehue: Enjoy a fun day of catch-and-release sport fishing with family or friends in a recreational, entertainment, training, and learning area, all in a pleasant setting for a family picnic (maximum 6 people). Includes: use of a barbecue area with a grill and dishwasher to prepare your food and snacks ( https://shorturl.at/rFVWX ).

–La Isla Salto la Olla Park: This beautiful 6.5-hectare park of native forest, used since ancient times by the Mapuche culture, has four trails: Salto del Brujo, Sendero Rocas Blancas, Sendero Botánico, and Salto la Olla. Its facilities include a viewing platform, ceremonial area, restrooms, and a picnic area. It also has a cafeteria and a shop selling local products and crafts (More info: https://bit.ly/3GI5kST ).

–Tree-climbing in Anticura: An excellent place for a family adventure. Inside Puyehue National Park, in the middle of the Valdivian rainforest, there's a tree-climbing circuit built many meters above the ground. You'll pass through eight platforms with different games through the treetops: suspension bridges, a Tibetan bridge, a climbing wall, a canopy walkway, and many other surprises ( https://bit.ly/3iGkuQL ).

–Nature Connection Day at Anticura: This guided experience includes nature connection techniques and local cultural stories as part of a day of interpretive hiking through various areas of the Anticura tourist complex located within Puyehue National Park. Hiking and lunch are included ( https://bit.ly/3V2JvCS ).

PANGUIPULLI
–Tralcapulli Eco Canopy: This is a panorama to enjoy with the whole family. At the Tralcapulli Eco Canopy, you'll enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience: soaring above the most extreme nature in Southern Chile. You'll be able to see trees found only in this area of ​​​​planet Earth: elm, coigüe, oak, and others. Some of them are over 400 years old. Just 15 minutes from Panguipulli, after a short trek through the forest, you'll find this 900-meter-high platform with three unique zip lines over the Valdivian Rainforest. The entire activity lasts about an hour, depending on the size of your family group (more info at the following link https://bit.ly/3IG93D7 ).

–Floating on the Fuy River – Choshuenco: This is an activity designed for little ones who want to experience a moment of adventure. Family Floating is the same concept as Rafting, but with a lower difficulty level (more info at the following link https://bit.ly/3W5nLqt ).

–Stand-up paddle classes (from 12 years old): SUP classes include a theoretical part carried out at the agency, with safety instructions and paddling techniques, lasting approximately 30 minutes and a practical part that takes place on Lake Panguipulli (more info at the following link https://bit.ly/3vTaFll ).

LAKE LLANQUIHUE
–Full day: bike and kayak along the Maullín River: The adventure begins in Puerto Varas, where we will take our bikes to explore a typical and unique Chilean town, Llanquihue, which is built around wetlands, the Maullín River and the lake of the same name. In this town you can delight in incredible views and landscapes of mountains and volcanoes, it is an unusual adventure that you should not miss when visiting Puerto Varas. After getting to know Llanquihue, we will have time for lunch with delicious homemade hamburgers or perhaps homemade pizza accompanied by local beers. Continuing with our activity, we will kayak down the only outlet of Lake Llanquihue towards the sea, we will paddle the Maullín River, a flat and calm river to enjoy and contemplate nature ( https://bit.ly/3hBQIf1 ).

–Guided kayak tour – Puerto Octay nature appreciation: The tour begins with an introduction to paddling and the local wildlife. It consists of a guided kayak tour around the lake, with an expert guide in birds, flora, and fauna, touring the network of wetlands, historic areas on the lake's edge, and native forest, as well as landing on small islands. The activity concludes at a traditional German café just steps from the lake. The tour lasts approximately 3 hours and is a tour of contemplation and light physical exertion. Up to 8 people can participate ( https://bit.ly/3H3xglC ).