Outings and excursions · Pucón
Santuario El Cañi: monkey puzzle forest, lagoons and a four-volcano viewpoint
Photos: LRCLC · CC BY-SA 4.0 / LRCLC · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Just 21 km from Pucón, in Pichares, a private araucaria reserve with a trail past mountain lagoons up to a 1,550-meter viewpoint facing four volcanoes.
The road to Huife leaves Pucón through farmland and forest, and about 21 kilometers out, in the small community of Pichares, you reach the entrance to Santuario El Cañi. It isn't a national park but a private reserve of around 500 hectares, owned by a non-profit organization and run by local people. It is often described as one of Chile's first private protected areas, and its name translates roughly as “sight that transforms.”
The trail starts low, among coigüe trees, and climbs steadily. It's an out-and-back route of a little over 12 kilometers in total, done as a day hike. As you gain height the forest changes: lenga beeches appear and, above all, monkey puzzle trees (araucarias), some of them centuries old, with the straight trunks and umbrella-shaped crowns that define the whole Araucanía landscape.
Higher up, the ground opens into old volcanic craters and lagoons. Laguna Las Totoras and Laguna Negra are the classic stops: still water, bleached logs along the shore and a row of araucarias against the sky. It's a good place to rest, eat something and take your time. Wild ducks and ashy-headed geese turn up here, and the forest is home to foxes, pudú deer, pumas and condors, though they are not easy to spot.
The final stretch climbs to the viewpoint, at about 1,550 meters above sea level. The payoff is wide: on clear days you can see four volcanoes, Villarrica, Quetrupillán, Lanín and Llaima, with forested hills and the odd lagoon below.
The best time to hike it runs from spring to autumn, and in late April the forest turns to fall colors. In winter the upper section is usually snow-covered and the climb is best done with a guide. Local guides who know the trail well work at the reserve.
- Tour type: Trekking and sightseeing
- Difficulty level: Moderate to hard (steady climb to the viewpoint)
- Tip: Start early and bring water, food and warm layers even if it's hot down below; pick a clear day if you want to see all four volcanoes from the top.
