Pucón, Chile's little Aspen Colorado

Unlike Aspen Colorado, Pucón has something different to offer.

Pucón is one of the hottest tourist destination in all of southern Chile, both for Chileans and foreigners. Pucón is nestled against the Villarrica volcano, on the shores of lake Villarrica. It has the feel of an undiscovered Aspen Colorado, with fly fishing, skiing, and rafting at the core tourist activities. Unlike Aspen Colorado, Pucón has something different to offer.

Trancura river near pucon (rio trancura)

The best of which are the hundreds of “termas” or volcanic hot springs, expeditions across the glacier to the rim of an active volcano, and dozens of protected national forest, free from the Disneyland crowds, within a few hours. The trekking routes are endless. There are thousands of square miles of land between Pucón and the Argentine border. All this makes Pucón one of the last unspoiled locations left in the world.

view of the villarica volcano from pucon

Seasons
The summer season (South America) in Southern Chile is one of the busiest times for Pucón, as Chileans from the Central Region and Foreigners from other countries in South America tend to vacation in Pucón. Prices will at least triple during this time. With some planning, the prices can be cushioned; however, by international comparison they are still a very good deal. February, is the top of the high season. Chileans traditional vacation at this time, and Pucón turns into a very serious 24 hour a day party for several weeks.

Apart from the summer rush, between January and the end of February, there are some excellent deals to be found. The winter months (North America's Summer) offers great deals, no crowds, and the possibility to ski on an active volcano in the afternoon. By evening, you can be enjoying a Pisco Sour while soaking in a volcanic hot spring. However, for this great deal you do surrender to the unpredictable nature of the weather. The foreign backpackers tend to turn up at this time in greater numbers. Hundreds of Private Cabins are avaible in the area. They run from about 5,000-15,000 pesos a night, and longer term at about 80,000 pesos for the month.

Restaurants and food
Restaurants in Pucón can range from a set plate at about 2,000-3,000 ($4-6 US, off season) pesos each for typical Southern Chilean cooking, to the high end casinos and hotels with international food ranging from about $10,000 ($20 US) per person (with drinks) to basically the limit of your personal net worth. However, keep in mind, that in Chile a World class bottle of wine will run you 5,000 pesos ($10 US) to 10,000 pesos ($20 US). It is hard to spend more on a bottle of Wine in Chile, when a lesser bottle of Chilean wine would easily set you back $100 ($100 US!) to $400 ($400 US!) in a restaurant in New York or San Fransisco. Although, while in Chile we do recommend splurging on a couple of better Bottles the country has to offer.

One of the best deals, and perhaps more fun than a restaurant, is to explore the markets and local country foods. A barbecue is an adventure alone, and the quality of the meat, vegetables, and dairy products is well worth it. A world class barbecue, can easily run an entire $2000-5000 pesos including drinks and a million dollar view.

Transportation
From Temuco by car, Pucón is about 1.5 hours. By bus, Pucón is about 2 hours. From Temuco, buses run about every 30 min, and cost between 1,000-2,500 pesos. There are many bus lines to choose from. The major lines are Jack and Tur Bus, along with several private buses and local lines. The most comfortable can be found on Tur bus (national) and Jack (regional).

Tourism Agencies
For the those not inclined to the hardcore backpacker pinch every penny style of travel, or you are simply tired of thinking about it, there are numerous tourist agencies big and small in the Pucón/Villarrica area to simplify your trip. The larger tourism agencies will be full service and able to book everything from your white water rafting trip to a night in the casino with a five star hotel. One such agency is Trancura, and specializes in adventure tourism with more of a comfort spin. Their rafting service includes an exclusive tourism lodge at the end of the river trip, and large new tourism vans for getting you to and from the rafting points.

For those looking for a little more local flavor, the small tourism agencies are a good deal and also offer a more personal touch. These guys will get you into and out of the more remote areas, and are far more personalized for small to medium size groups. Often the owner will guide you personally. This will likely include a lot more information, and more opportunities to start and stop as you please.

The Downside to Pucón
As mentioned before, Pucón is very popular. This also brings the same problems as you would find in a lot of tourism destinations. Downtown Pucón, although still holding on to much of the small town feel, is quickly being developed with malls and upscale restaurants more typical of the Capital Santiago. Pucón is still a very safe place in terms of crime. The local Government Tourism office has done an excellent job of organizing the town to be Tourist friendly, with maps, signs, and information posted around the town. The Crowds and High prices of February would most likely be the biggest downside. However, even in February, those crowds can be avoided by staying in one of the less famous local towns in the area like Villarrica, or making Pucón a day trip from Temuco.

Overall
Pucón is magical. The vistas are incredible, and it makes a great jumping off point for day trips to other places and activities in the area. It is more upscale in terms of services and prices, but after a day of rafting, skiing, or fly fishing a good meal and a great bottle of wine might be more than worth any price. More information can be found in our Pucón destinations section.

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Pucón, Chile's little Aspen Colorado

Unlike Aspen Colorado, Pucón has something different to offer.

Need Help In Chile?

TALK ABOUT CHILEChile Forum Chile Wiki@www.allchile.net

Pucón, Chile's little Aspen Colorado

Unlike Aspen Colorado, Pucón has something different to offer.

Need Help In Chile?

TALK ABOUT CHILE
Chile Forum
Chile Wiki
@
www.allchile.net