Are you looking for adventure and rest? Then you should know the Chilean Lakes and Volcanoes Route

Rodrigo Moreno, general manager of this route, shares recommendations and data for those who have not yet been able to visit this world-class tourist area.
The Lakes and Volcanoes Scenic Route was officially born in January 2020 as part of the national tourism strategy. This denomination places it, along with Easter Island, Torres del Paine and San Pedro de Atacama, among the leading Chilean tourist destinations worldwide. A "scenic route" is associated with a type of tourism that guarantees experiences with a component of natural beauty. Rivers, mountains, volcanoes, lakes, forests, waterfalls and a lot of biodiversity are part of its essence.

In total, the route covers 725 kilometers in six tourist circuits: Araucanía Lacustre, Araucanía Andina, Siete Lagos, Lago Ranco, Norpatagonia and Lago Llanquihue. And it covers 21 communes, from Victoria to Cochamó, between the regions of La Araucanía, Los Lagos and Los Ríos. In addition, on your tour you can get to know the German, Mapuche and Creole culture, reflected in its gastronomy, architecture, traditions and festivities.

WHERE TO START FROM?

Rodrigo Moreno (pictured).

“The route has 61% of the thermal waters of Chile, distributed in its three regions”, highlights Rodrigo Moreno, general manager of the Lakes and Volcanoes Scenic Route, which makes it ideal for those who practice health tourism or wellness. But there are also ski centers on natural snow slopes, accommodation of all kinds and for all tastes, water sports, arborism, trekking through waterfalls, volcanoes, and many more activities.

So where to start? Rodrigo Moreno, in an interview with Ruténica, points out that it is best to build panoramas around one, two or more of his circuits, depending on the time available. As a great connoisseur of the route, he gives some tips with activities and places that can be known.

“If you travel the route as a couple, you can mix a visit to the ski centers with hot springs and gastronomy. And if you want to add adventure, you can go to the Conguillío or Vicente Pérez Rosales national parks. It all depends on the time you have: If you only have one weekend, you can do a couple of activities per circuit that many tourist enterprises offer. And if you have a complete vacation, you can take a tour of the entire scenic route, with an average of two to three days per circuit, selecting a tourist activity that is characteristic of the personality of each place”.

The scenarios are very varied, he adds. “You can start having breakfast with a Mapuche Pehuenche in his kitchen in La Araucanía and at night go see a show at the Teatro del Lago in Frutillar. Depending on your challenges. For example, if you are a skier, you can visit eight ski resorts in fifteen to twenty days on two circuits with different types of snow, different heights, different slopes, and you can mix them. And then go to a hot spring, to recover the body and be able to continue the adventure”.

Other notable destinations are around Lago Ranco, says Moreno: “From a cultural point of view, it has many communities, with their towns in between. The area also serves to practice recreational fishing, bird watching, a lot of nature and different water sports. Huapi Island is also interesting. Another option is to visit Lake Maihue, which is behind Lake Ranco, and which joins the Calcurrupe River. All this implies a sailing adventure, meeting local cultures and rich gastronomy”.

Siete Lagos (Panguipulli) is another must-see destination, says Moreno: “The Huilliche people begin in that area, therefore, you can live many experiences of native peoples. The Huilo Huilo reserve, with its parks, with its nature, with its adventures, is also intense in activities”.

In Ruténica we have many proposals to get to know these and other destinations on the Lakes and Volcanoes Route. Contact us on our WhatsApp. And visit our instagram: www. instagram. com/rutenica_cl/