Curarrehue: Mapuche culture at the foot of the Andes

From Pucón, Route CH-199 leaves the lake behind and heads up the valley, following the Trancura River toward the Andes. About 36 kilometers on you reach Curarrehue, a small town some 400 meters above sea level whose name comes from the Mapudungun kura rewe, "stone altar." It isn't a village dressed up for visitors: this is a community of Mapuche and Pewenche roots, and you feel it in the people, the food and the pace of things.

History explains much of what you see. In the late 19th century, during Argentina's so-called Conquest of the Desert, Mapuche families crossed over through the Mamuil Malal pass —the old Boquete del Trankura, a caravan route since the 18th century— and settled in this valley. The community is still mostly Mapuche.

The heart of the visit is the Trawupeyüm Intercultural Village, a wooden building with a curved roof of split logs that works as a living museum: the community itself tells the origin stories of its people. Right next to it are stalls serving Mapuche and fusion cooking, where local cooks work with what the forest provides: monkey-puzzle pine nuts (piñones), wild strawberries and other berries they also turn into jams.

Take a stroll to the San Sebastián church, which draws pilgrims every January for the patron saint's feast, and walk down to the Trancura, which rises at Lake Quillelhue and runs past town. On a clear day, the snowy cone of Lanín volcano stands out from the valley.

To stretch the outing, the same road continues about 40 kilometers to the Mamuil Malal border pass, inside Villarrica National Park, with Lanín growing closer all the way. It's a good way to understand why this corner has been a gateway between both sides of the Andes for centuries.

• Tour type: Cultural, food and sightseeing
• Difficulty level: Easy
• Tip: Leave time to eat in town and try something made with piñones; if you continue to Mamuil Malal in winter, check the pass conditions and carry snow chains, which may be required.