Things to do in Pucon, Chile
Many hours drive from the ocean there’s a beach. Hundreds of metres above sea level, people laze on the shore and splash around in the water.
There’s no sand – just grey volcanic rocks for a shore. But there are beach umbrellas, sunchairs and more skin than should be socially acceptable.
This is Pucon and there are lots of things to do.
About 800 kilometres south of the capital Santiago, this is the premier location for domestic tourism in Chile.
It’s not popular just for the beach, which is on the side of an enormous lake with surprisingly warm water. It’s also a base for a whole range of adventure sports.
Trekking, rafting, canyoning, and so on. This is what the Chileans come for during the summer.
It’s a laidback town… small and spread out from the lake in a grid.
The shops along the main street tell you everything you need to know about the commerce of the place – restaurants, bars, tour operators, camping stores and clothes shops.
Some people come here to relax but others use it as a base for adventures further afield.
The volcano at Pucon, Chile
The biggest attraction in town is climbing the Villarrica Volcano which you can climb up and down in a day. But be warned, it hurts!
The whole place has a bit of a hippie feel. The great unwashed and their dreadlocks wander slowly through the town on their way to the organic café.
On the way, though, they pass the fit experienced climbers, the yuppie families from the capital, and the backpackers who are passing through because they were told they should. It’s a happy balance of travellers.
There’s not a lot to say about Pucon and the things to do here that I haven’t already written. In some sense it speaks for itself and pretends to be nothing that it is not.
I’ve mentioned it here because it’s not somewhere you hear of often.
Before I got to Chile I didn’t know about it. I’ve mentioned the name to other travellers and they hadn’t heard of it either. But it’s worth taking the time to find out more. You’ll like what’s there.
THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN PUCON
Although the town isn’t large, there are lots of great places to stay in Pucon because it’s such a popular domestic tourist destination.
BACKPACKER
With a fun atmosphere and great facilities, Lucky’s Hostel has a great location right on the lakefront.
BUDGET
Clean and cozy, Hotel Küyen-Ko Pucón has great value and a beautiful city view.
BOUTIQUE
Along with a garden, rooftop yoga space and outdoor pool, Selina Plaza Pucón also has a wonderful design.
LUXURY
The bright spacious rooms at Hotel Casa Solaria have large comfortable beds and a balcony with lake views.
That looks excellent! I had never heard of this place but it sounds amazing. My have to put it on my travel wishlist.
It’s not particularly well-known outside of Chile but a really nice place to chill out for a few days…
Excellent! When I was in Chile I spent months in Valparaiso and loved every single instant of it. But I maybe missed out on other amazing places. It’s definitely a place where I need to go again.
I can completely understand how you would spend so much time in Valparaiso. It’s always nice to have a reason to go back to a country, though…
Pucon really sounds like a great place.. I really love the view of the mountain.. And it has smoke on the top.. Very amazingly beautiful! 🙂
Yeah, it’s stunning. The smoke from the volcano always worried me a bit, but I was assured we’d know if it was about to erupt! 🙂
Looks like a nice place, relaxing if you can get past the volcano.
The volcano gives the place some excitement. The beach is definitely where you would relax after a tough day trying to climb it.
Excellent article! I’ve been to Pucon several times and it’s always like you describe it, specially the “hippie feel” in there. Everybody shoud take the time to see the city when visiting Chile.
Congrats!
Thanks, Fabian. It’s hard not to notice the hippie feel, isn’t it? But that’s what makes it such a nice and relaxing place.
In the night, board an overnight bus to Pucon.