Pucon

Five hours of climbing reach the 2847 metre summit and a look into the crater. On some days molten rock shows inside and a mask is worn against the sulphur.

Water running underground bursts from a cliff face and falls. Very clear and very blue, it turns up in a great many photographs.

A red timber walkway runs up a ravine with seventeen pools set beside it. The water grows hotter toward the top and a cold tub stands next to each.

The path runs through araucaria forest linking three small lakes. Some of the trees pass two thousand years and their trunks measure very wide.

Ash worn down to black sand lies along this lake shore. This lake warms beyond the others nearby, which draws swimmers all summer.

A frame of poles under thatch holds a central hearth whose smoke leaves through the roof. Food and talk are shared inside it.

Two sections of different grade let a first timer pick one. Meltwater feeds the river, which stays cold through summer.

Stone walls built between riverside rocks make these plain pools. They stay open at night, so bathers lie in the water under the stars.

A lava tube in the flank of the volcano is entered for 400 metres. Where it narrows a visitor bends low to get through.

A lakeside walk in front of town faces the volcano head on. In the evening the plume of smoke takes colour from the sunset.

A private nature reserve whose trail climbs through old araucaria forest to a ridge lookout. Clear days show several volcanoes at once from the top, Villarrica and Lanin among them. The steep return hike eats nearly a whole day.

A small resort village on Lake Calafquen's northern shore, where a peninsula juts out between two black sand beaches. In summer Santiago families pour in to swim. Quieter than Pucon, it suits a slow, lazy day by the water.

A Mapuche village on the road to Argentina, where a cultural centre shaped like a traditional house shows everyday tools. Local women run a kitchen serving dishes of araucaria seeds and wild greens. It is noticeably cooler than Pucon, so bring an extra layer.

A border pass into Argentina, where the snow-capped Lanin volcano fills the view as you near the top. Araucaria forest and small lakes line the way up. Going past the checkpoint requires a passport and vehicle papers.