Chilean Patagonia’s Lake District: Lodge Stays, Volcanoes, Waterfalls & Hot Springs

Lake District location and weather

Chile’s Lake District spans just over 200 miles between the cities of Temuco and Puerto Montt, encompassing two main regions: Araucanía and Los Lagos. This picturesque area is defined by its dramatic landscapes. It features a series of sparkling blue lakes, including Lake Villarrica, Lake Llanquihue and Lake Panguipulli. They are framed by towering, often snow-capped volcanoes like Villarrica, Osorno and Calbuco, and dotted with waterfalls and hot springs. Most flights to/from Santiago land in Temuco in the north (ZCO) or Puerto Montt in the south (PMC) and are 1.5–2 hours, respectively.

The climate is temperate, with mild, rainy winters and warm, sunny summers, making it ideal for year-round exploration. During our July trip, the temperatures ranged from mid-50’s to low-60’s and half the days had rain. We commented to a guide that the climate reminded us of the Pacific Northwest. We were told it was most similar to New Zealand, as they share the same latitude and have many similarities in flora/fauna, volcanic activity and good wine!

The route

We flew from Santiago down to Temuco, where we picked up our rental car. From there, our first stop on our self-drive, Pucon, was a 90 minute drive. The next properties on Lago Ranco and then finally Puerto Varas were several hours apart and we made some side trips in between each. We flew back to Santiago from Puerto Montt.

Tip: The highways are well-maintained, but off the highway you will likely encounter gravel and dirt roads around town that would be best suited to a SUV. Also, always have Chilean pesos on you for toll booths.

Pucón

Pucon is known as Chile’s adventure capital with activities such as hiking, volcano climbing, skiing, white-water rafting and zip-lining. Nestled on the shores of Lake Villarrica and at the foot of the active Villarrica Volcano is Pucón. Its charming streets are lined with cozy cafes, boutique shops and local markets, giving it a laid-back, welcoming vibe. We checked into our first stay, Rakau Lodge, which is situated in the forest on the banks of the Trancura River. Twenty minutes outside downtown, you feel completely removed and ensconced in nature. The eco-lodge property welcomes you through the inviting main lodge and reception with tall glass windows that make you feel as though you are part of the forest. The main building is then connected to the free-standing villas by raised wooden walkways meandering throughout the property and down to the river-front beach. Each villa has its own private patio where you can hear the rushing river. I absolutely loved the property and the way it has been built into the natural environment. It all feels very seamless. I highly recommend upgrading to the villas. The entry-level rooms are located within the main building. While they are very comfortable and nicely appointed, the villas are well worth it for a more private and elevated experience. My favorite area on the property outside my villa was the beautiful and comfy main lodge. Here you can relax, read or enjoy a chat with the staff and sample delicious Chilean wines. The lodge serves breakfast and dinner and provides takeaway box lunches. The team will reach out before your arrival and arrange any logistics or tours. They don’t have their own guides but partner with multiple local companies to offer a range of activities for all levels. Overall, the service at Rakau Lodge was the warmest hospitality of our trip and we immensely enjoyed getting to know the team.

Tip: Ask Juan Pablo (General Manager and Owner) to arrange a wine tasting in the lodge for you. He had some amazing selections that helped me appreciate some Chilean wines I was not familiar with.

Since I love all things hot spring and Nordic spa-like, we spent a full day checking out hikes that led to waterfalls and therapeutic hot spring sites that ranged from rustic to full-service. My favorite was Salto El Leon, which has large cedar wooden tubs piping in the hot mineral springs and overlooking the dramatic salto (waterfall). They have servers that will bring you drinks and they serve lunch as well. Termas Geometricas is another large property outside Villarica with more of a variety of pools and views of equally impressive falls.

Hot Spring; Waterfall

For a more extreme adventure day, we booked a volcano ascent to the top of the Villarica, which is the most active volcano in Chile. It’s a full-day hike and our guide picked us up very early from Ermintano Expeditions. We were taken to the base of the ski resort and then loaded up. The gear includes ice picks and crampons, which are needed as you reach the higher glacier near the peak. Unfortunately for us, although sunny down near the lake, we battled with snow, biting winds and very poor conditions and ended up turning back just short of the summit. I will say it’s in times like this, it becomes very clear how important well-qualified and knowledgeable guides are. We had two guides with our party of four. They continually checked in and assessed the situation moment to moment until we all agreed the safest thing to do was turn around. Our guides were incredible and I can’t recommend them enough.

Lago Ranco

From Pucon, we headed south and our next lodge nestled along Lago Ranco was Futague Hotel & Spa. The low-slung profile blends beautifully into the landscape, all wood, stone and massive windows for views from all angles. We stayed in the classic rooms, which are located in the Casa Exploradores building and were super cozy on the rainy afternoon of our arrival.

We had a lot of rain during this portion of the trip, which gave me an excuse to enjoy the indoor pool and traditional sauna. The property is vast with trails, and our teens happily endured the rain to join in on a hike to a nearby lake. As a family, our favorite activity here was the e-bikes from the lodge and the ride through the forest trails past streams and waterfalls to Pichi Lagoon. This area is also popular for fishing, and in particular fly-fishing, and many of the other guests came here specifically for this.

One of my favorite things about hiking through this entire region is the availability of little hot cocoa huts. Some are an extension of homes and properties, and others are conveniently located within the parks themselves. But all offer delicious cocoa, many with a little spice almost like a Mexican hot chocolate but more mild. One of the cutest of these we discovered was after a hike through the Huilo Huilo rainforest park, where they have little fairy huts that serve hot drinks and donuts. It was like being in a magical forest or a scene from The Hobbit.

Hot Cocoa; Futangue Lodge

Puerto Varas

Our final stop in the Chilean Lakes District was Puerto Varas. It is considered the Gateway to Patagonia, as many classic Patagonian journeys depart from here. And yes, there is a huge Patagonia retail store in town. We stayed at Hotel AWA, situated on the shores of Lake Llanquihue, offering stunning views of the Osorno Volcano. This architecturally-unique hotel features 25 guestrooms, all with floor-to-ceiling windows facing outwards towards the lake and volcano. This is a property where even the standard entry-level rooms are incredible and extremely spacious. My favorite memories of the hotel are just hanging out in my room enjoying the views both daytime of the lake and volcano and then at night the millions of stars that are visible in the dark sky.

There’s a robust range of daily activities both onsite and nearby and a dedicated activities concierge to craft a daily plan. The morning kayaking adventure in the nearby delta was an amazing experience. Gliding through the mist and fog was otherworldly and so peaceful. Since this was the end of a pretty active trip, the last full day we opted for onsite activities. We had a tour of the property, kitchen gardens and neighboring homes of the owners. I also had a massage treatment, which was just okay. The treatment rooms are located through the indoor pool area and lacked a sense of spa ambiance that I prefer.

The town of Puerto Varas is about 15 minutes by car, and the hotel can provide shuttle services to and from. We enjoyed learning about the strong German influence on this area, which shows up in architecture and local culture. After over a week of being in more remote places, it was nice to have a walkable town and offsite dining options (although each of the lodge stays had excellent farm-to-table dining, so no complaints). We enjoyed seafood dishes at La Olla and pizza at Mesa Tropera. Our favorite meals were dinners at Hotel AWA’s restaurant, specifically the salmon ceviche. It was hands down our all-around favorite.

Need to know

The aspect that surprised me the most was the difficulty we had communicating with native Chileans in Spanish. It’s a different dialect with unique colloquialisms, and even Google Translate was not very helpful. This is a destination I would recommend working with a travel advisor to ensure you have access to a local in-destination contact with support via WhatsApp to contact when situations arise.

Who is this destination perfect for?

Those who enjoy active and remote destinations. We enjoyed this trip as a family and it was a great fit for us with plenty of options for adventure and relaxation. This would be a fantastic romantic getaway or group/multi-generational destination as well. There’s a wide range of activities for all levels of physical abilities.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Chile page.