The Mapuche Indians of Lago Budi ( Lake Budi )

 The Culture of Lago Budi

Puerto Dominguez

Puerto Dominguez is one of the main towns on the Eastern side of the lake. In central Puerto Domínguez you are greeted by three enormous wood statues made by a local artist. These are the first in a series of statues being setup around the town to depict the history of the Mapuche people, and lake Budi. You will also find a local tourism information office; but, to be honest, the town is sufficiently small that you can ask anyone for information.

Stay with the Mapuche Lafkenche

In what is one of the better ideas, the Mapuche mixed modern tourism cabins with traditional Mapuche Ruka style home.  For a family adventure in Southern Chile, this is the a great option. Directly next to a modern, full comfort cabin, is a traditional Mapuche Ruka. Even the Ruka comes with a few modern features such as lights and beds. It is better described as a taste of life in a Ruka. It would let mom and dad have a good night sleep, while the kids enjoy a night camping out in the Ruka.

Hiking, Backpacking, and Mountain Biking around Lago Bud

There are many guided and unguided hiking tours of the Lake. The lake area has many campgrounds, cabins, and hostels near the communities scattered along the lake shore. The lake itself is very large, with a winding shore that could easily consume a week of hiking the full circuit; however, the time will be well spent getting to know the people in the area, and exploring some of the more remote parts of the Lago Budi. If it all becomes too much, hitching a ride on either a boat, bus, or a pickup truck to get to civilization is a fairly easy from any part of the Lake. Mountain Biking would be an ideal option for covering the most territory around the lake. Even by Bike, a week would still be recommended to do proper justice to all the great places on the lake.

Culture and Events

Throughout the year, the Mapuche have organized various events to introduce visitors to their culture. One of the more interesting is the Mapuche New Year that falls on the Solstice in June, or the shortest day of the year in South America.

Getting to the Puerto Dominguez ( the Eastern  Lake Budi )

To reach the eastern parts of Lago Budi you must pass through the main town of Puerto Dominguez (87 km from Temuco). The fastest way to Puerto Dominguez is by a well maintained and heavily traveled dirt road from Carahue (47 km), or from Hualpin from the South. We are told the road is better during the rainy season because the rain helps to control the dust. There is also a ferry that makes the rounds to all the major towns on Lago Budi.

Ideally, to really explore the Lake you would do it by renting a car in Temuco. There is bus service to most of the rural communities on Lake Budi, but time will be needed. Waiting  an hour for a bus on the side of the road seems much easier in such a beautiful place as Lago Budi.