Activity along the Lakes and Volcanoes Scenic Route continues unabated. Already in the midst of the winter season, the tourist offering remains broad and diverse. In addition to the free attractions , there are also weekend getaways, wellness tourism , adventure tourism, and outdoor activities, among others.
But there's more: the area also offers exciting creative tourism opportunities. This concept has gained international recognition and is very successful, as this type of tourism promotes participation in artistic and creative activities to discover and learn about the destination.
The founders of Ruténica, Paulina Valderrama and Angélica Sepúlveda , explain that "creative tourism is suitable for any audience and there are endless themes to choose from, so it can generate quality tourism that optimizes the destination's resources, diversifying the offering." Along these lines, creative tourism also stands out because it can be practiced in a timeless manner (it's a resource to combat seasonality) and can be combined with other types of tourism, making it a great ally for wine, ecological, gastronomic, sports, and cultural activities.
At Ruténica, we've selected these Creative Tourism opportunities. Contact us for more information:
–Rock among Volcanoes (minimum 4 people): The experience begins with a guided tour of our Estación Rock school. As an initial activity, there will be a "Percussion Circle," where you will be able to express yourself through different instruments guided by a teacher, identifying and repeating simple rhythms. You will also experience what an "Ensemble" is, a musical moment with characteristic rock instruments. You will improvise, create, and compose with very simple tools that will be provided by one of our teachers. Finally, you will enter our recording studio, led by our sound producer, leaving a record of the work done during the day, which you can take home digitally at the end of the experience (more information: https://bit.ly/3pQJ9VU ).
– Harvesting and cooking workshops in Frutillar: Participants will head from the workshop to the garden, where they will collect the available produce (mushrooms and myrtle in the fall). After the harvest, the recipes will be explained, and then the process of preparing a complete lunch will begin together. The workshop is available in Spanish, English, French, and Italian. What's included?: Harvesting, recipes, and all the ingredients for preparing the dishes (more information: https://bit.ly/4302seb ).
–Ceramics class for parents and children. The workshop is aimed at families, allowing them to share a fun moment. Parents and children, grandparents, nephews, or aunts and uncles can join in. The idea is to create a stoneware ceramic piece with your own hands. You can learn different modeling or wheel-turning techniques. Let your imagination run wild. What's included? All supplies, materials, and tools (more information: https://bit.ly/3Wp4yBP ).
–Board assembly workshop with local products and pairing in Frutillar: The experience will begin with an introduction to the cured meats, cheeses, pickles, jams, and sauces produced in the Lake Llanquihue basin. A guide will explain how to pair them. Participants will then design their own board. What's included?: The explanation, the class, all the cured meats and cheeses, pickles, sauces, jams, focaccia breads, and more for each participant to assemble the board. Its subsequent consumption and pairing with boutique Chilean wines (more information: https://bit.ly/3IusrlY ).
–Gres Pottery Class - Earthenware Decoration (in Llanquihue): This is a space where you can come with your children and decorate a bisque-fired piece. That is, it's fired and ready to be glazed. You can relax or disconnect from your daily routine by painting a bowl, cup, or mug with your children, friends, or family. What's included? Materials such as glaze colors, crayons, paintbrushes, and the bisque-fired piece (more information: https://bit.ly/43ccLvm ).
–Ancestral knowledge and guided experience in Puerto Octay: Doraliza Ester Hueichan, a Huilliche artisan passionate about her mapu (land), her witrales (looms), and her traditions, is in charge of the tour that will take you on a guided experience through the countryside in her traditional clothing and with a natural panoramic view of the place, where we will be able to appreciate the Punctuagudo volcano, Osorno, and Calbuco. We will share ancestral knowledge, respecting the process and care of the raw materials, from how the vegetables are harvested to begin the wool dyeing process. We continue the tour to reach the workshop where the crafts are developed; it is here where the wool is spun and woven in the witral, which gives us moments that allow us to create, that connect us with our roots and allow us to keep the tradition alive. What does it include?: Witral materials and tools, their accessories, wool, Cumiyal witral weaving and tasting (coffee, tea, mate or natural juices, catutos, bread, jam, honey, cheese) (more information: https://bit.ly/3MIjbwW ).
–Copper still distillation in Puerto Varas: Workshop participants will observe the distillation of herbs (garden or native species such as triwe, cinnamon, matico, and myrtle) using a copper still. The resulting hydrosol and essential oil will be obtained. They will learn basic principles of aromatherapy and the uses of the distilled species. Included: 100 cc hydrosol, refreshments, and digital information (more information: https://bit.ly/3WpCePC ).