“Los Cráteres” Trail, Easy half-day hike near Pucón

Have you ever wanted to hike around an active volcano? This half-day hike is the most accesible way to experience the Villarrica Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in Chile.

We will hike the path along the base of the Villarrica Volcano. We will pass through a mystical forest of coihue, a unique species of tree native to southern Chile. We will also pass lava trails and singular smaller craters, formed by the evolution of the Villarrica Volcano over the course of thousands of years.

We will pass through ancient volcanic slag dumps. These are covered by moss and coirón, which is a type of vegetation native to the area. We will also see some unique phenomenon such as volcanic caves and dry rivers.

From an observation deck, we will have a wonderful, 360° view of nearby Villarrica Lake, Caburgua Valley, Llaima Volcano and the Nevados de Sollipulli. Afterwards, we will descend toward the volcano, passing through the expansive Andean prairies.

The Villarrica Volcano erupted as recently as 2015. As we walk along, we will be able to see signals of lava from this eruption.

The highlight of this hike is the craters themselves. Eventually, we will reach rows of craters about five to ten meters wide, with lava flow on either side. The lava from the recent eruption formed interesting folds in the land. We will be able to see cracks in the hardened lava where vegetation is beginning to grow. These craters are an amazing sight to behold!

Book today for an almost otherworldly experience in Pucón!

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