Premium/Luxury Lodge

These are hotels that merit the distinguished classification of being above those that are not in the premium category. These hotels offer better, overall services, well furnished and decorated rooms, courteous staff – all the ingredients that combine to form the “better than the rest” position.

Unique Hotels

These are hotels that we feel offer something special such as a great view; a great location; a special feeling and / or are just unique and different to the norm.

Good Level Hotels

The hotels we have put into the "good level" category are those hotels that do not merit being in the "top level", but are not at the lowest level either, hence "mid level". Usually, these hotels are perfectly good for a couple of nights and offer "practical" accommodation and facilities. If you are looking for only a "place to stay" and nothing more than a mid-level hotel will suffice.

Approved Hotels

During our inspections we ask the hotel owners if we can stay overnight at the hotel. We ask this because staying overnight is vastly different to just popping in with a quick visit. We like to know what the noise pollution is, what the breakfasts are like, how comfy the beds are, what the staff are like.

Therefore, if you see “inspected & approved” we are saying that we feel the hotel is perfectly good. If it does not have “approved” it means we have not stayed overnight or we feel it is not up to the level that our clients will require.

Inspected Hotels

The reason we have a selected number of hotels that we choose to work with is because we regularly visit the hotels in Puerto Natales in order to know what they are really like. We cannot rely on the hundreds of often “suspect” reviews published in the internet. Therefore, we try to promote the better hotels that we know will make your trip more enjoyable. However, if you see that we have “inspected” a particular hotel, this does NOT mean that we recommend it necessarily. The ones we recommend are “approved”.

Other Hotels

We also include in the accommodation section information on hotels that are not, perhaps, that great, and in some cases maybe they are a little “tired”, but clients will often ask for such hotels because the cost is lower or because they are under the mistaken belief that they are better than they are. We have not said derogatory things about these hotels, but if you see a lack of enthusiasm in the description you can derive that that particular hotel is “average”.

Climbing Villarrica Volcano

Perhaps one of the most exciting things to do in life is to “climb” an active volcano. Here at Pucon this is possible with daily departures of groups that walk up the steep-sided slopes of the nearby volcano.

Each person is handed crampons to go over footwear, plus an ice axe. Both implements are designed to grip the ice and snow, and rick scree as you ascend the 45-degree angle of the side of the volcano. The ice axe is there to slow you down should you fall over – you need to roll over and stick the axe into the snow – pretty fast so it acts like a break.

The day is a long one with departures starting from the centre of Pucon village from one of the adventure companies offering the activity, which, it should be known, can be cancelled if the weather is not right. For example, if the volcano is covered in mist, fog or low cloud, or if there is a danger of an immediate eruption.

The hike starts from the ski centre base and then groups either hike up to the old cable car station or ride up on the chair lift to this point. Once at the old cable car station it is hiking all the way up for about 4hours or so.

You cannot “just sit down” if you feel tired, so be aware that this activity requires stamina. Also, near the top there is a strong smell of sulphur (not good if you are asthmatic). However, if you make it, looking down into an actual volcanic crater where there is real, orange and red-hot lava gurgling away is quite a kick, especially when you are also at 2,582m above sea level. In addition to this, the view from this point is nothing less than spectacular.

Coming down is a lot quicker.

Hot Springs

Around Pucon are various hot spring options, each offering varying degrees of facilities, style and service. We will not cover them all, but we will cover two of the better-known places here.

For both the hot spring places below you should, ideally, get tickets in advance.

Termas Geométrica

This is a full day involving a transfer (or self-drive) of around 67km from Pucon, taking about 1.5hrs, or longer, because the final part involves going up a part of the other side of the Villarrica Volcano.

Considering that bathing in warm to hot water for a long period can make you tired, it is very important that the driver does not take too long in the thermal baths. And, for this reason, it would be prudent to have a private transfer take you there and back.

The hot springs here are unique in their appearance. The owner has very cleverly constructed a number of chunky board walks along a natural, narrow, canyon in the forest, together with a base that serves as a cafeteria providing hot drinks and snacks as well as an indoor fire pit to sit around.

There are a number of pools that have been constructed along the length of the canyon, each providing a different temperature. These are the pools that visitors soak in. Then, at the end of the canyon, which is higher up than at the beginning, there is a natural waterfall. The sides of the canyon walls are covered in large “Nalke” leaves, mosses and other forest flora and at along the top are the forest trees.

At certain points there are lockers where visitors can leave their clothes and valuables.

Visitors can come during the day or time it so you arrive for the night time and then, if you are lucky, you can soak in natural hot water and then gaze up at the milky way.

These termas are located about 25km due east from Pucon. On the way to Huife the scenery is very reminiscent of that seen in the Alps, with green pastures, rolling hills, forested hill sides and snow-covered mountains in the distance.

One of the best aspects to Termas de Huife has to be its setting, which is beside a natural river and surrounded by lush, green vegetation as well as being overlooked by green forested hills. However, it also does get quite busy during the months of January and February.

Termas the Huife used to be the best place to visit for the Thermal Bath experience, until Geometrica came along. However, it still is a great place to come to, although it is much more of a traditional hot spring with two purpose-built open air, swimming-pool like baths where people soak up the minerals, and a third indoor pool that has special jacuzzi jets under some of the lounger seats in the pool.

There is also a place to receive massages and small, private cubicles to soak, privately, in a deep thermal bath.

Termas de Huife, unlike most hot spring places also offers accommodation, so people can overnight, as well as a restaurant for all required meals.

Other hot spring spots are Palguín, Río Blanco, Quimey-Co and Peumayen, among others.

Villarrica National Park covers 63 thousand hectares that includes extensive lenga and araucaria trees at the higher treeline and then raulí, long-leafed mañío and coigue at the lower altitudes. Among the forests can be found pumas, chilla and culpeo foxes, peucos, quiques, pudúes, cipos as well as monitos del monte, which is one of the three species of marsupials that exist in Chile.

With regards to bird life there are often these varieties to be seen flying around: Aquatic birds such as ducks, huala and the common tagua. In addition, it is possible to spot the blanca, azul, huinfinca, verde, avutardas, quillelhue and los patos lagoons.

On the activity front it is possible to climb the volcano (see further above), visit the natural volcanic caves and ski in the winter months.

All of the above can be sourced from a number of service providers located in Pucon Village, or from your hotel, or maybe we will have already included some, or all of them, in the travel itinerary that we have arranged for you.

One word of advice is to allow sufficient time to do what you want to do and the reality is that you cannot do it all.

Helicopter Trips