The Volcano Trail
The Volcano Trail recommends routes and programmes specially designed and adaptable to all tastes for all those who seek contact with nature, culture and adventure...
Skiing in Araucanian forests, climbing active volcanoes, trekking in National Parks and Nature Reserves, horse riding, rafting, kayaking, mountaineering, or fishing. Sightseeing trips in dense forests, mountains and valleys, bird watching, cultural visits – there are so many different and interesting things to do.
Discover natural attractions in pristine environments, free of any pollution and marked by the presence of volcanoes and craters, mountains, rivers, lakes, geothermal waters, native fauna and flora in the cold rainforests of the southern hemisphere.
The cultural attraction is revealed through the existence of the Mapuche-Pewenche people who will enable you to get in touch with their ancestral culture, whether through their gastronomy, costumes, religion or the community itself.
Sample Programmes:
- Three Summits – high level - 7 days
- Sierra Nevada Crossing - high level – 4 days
- The Smuggler's Path – mid level – 4 days
- Walkingin Native Forest– mid level – 6 days
- Andean Crossing - mid level – 4 days
- Tailor-made Adventure – mid level – 4 days
- Snow in the Araucania – low level – 4 days
- Parks and Hot Springs – low level – 5 days
- Fishing in the Forest & Mountains– low level – 4 days
- Native Treasures– low level – 5 days
- Nature of Contrasts– low level – 4 days
- Villarrica Volcano Valley – low level – 4 days
Mapuche Community
The lands of the Mapuche, one of the three Araucanian peoples who were the original inhabitants of Patagonia, once stretched from Chile's south-central coast to the eastern flanks of the Andes. The Mapuche are famed for having successfully repelled Inca as well as Spanish forces. Today their cultural traditions in Chile's rich central valley remain strong.
Budi Lake is located in the commune of Puerto Saavedra and Puerto Dominguez. Budi lake is an area of indigenous development and the most southern salt lake in the world, where a great variety of species of birds have their home. For that reason it has been named a nature reserve and is protected against hunting. This allows development of different kinds of activities such as Etnotourism, Trekking, birdwatching and others.
In this area the Mapuche communities still conserve their language, Mapudungun, and their traditions. Their traditional houses are called “Rukas” and are built with wood and straw. Here you will be able to take part in the daily activities of a Mapuche town and share in their present and past experiences; you can learn the history and ancestral traditions from their own mouths; you will be welcomed into their families and sample their typical food and hospitality. You can then go on to visit Nehuentue, a picturesque little fishing village next to the Imperial river which in days gone by was navigated by the Mapuches on the coast who lived off fishing and agriculture. Return to Temuco.
To learn more about the Mapuche go to www.mapuche-nation.org
