South
Zone
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The
lake and volcano region of southern
Chile is the expression of nature
in its inimitable beauty and surprising
exuberance.
Among volcanic cataclysms, iceberg
sculptures, rain and snow, torrential
rivers, and temperate rain forests,
we find a landscape in movement,
one that is constantly modeled
and changing before our eyes.
This is the motherland of the
Mapuche Indians, one of South
America's most important indigenous
cultures.
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For almost 300 years, the Mapuches
defended the Araucanía, the northern
area of this region, against the Spaniards.
They fought, dispersed, and changed
their culture, spreading out over the
pampas. Three centuries of resistance:
so much strength! But that is the nature
of the lake region.
Strong, yes, but safe too, and with
a European elegance that is surprisingly
familiar. As the Mapuches relinquished
their territory to the newly-independent
republic, the European settlers poured
into this paradise of rich volcanic
soil, ancient
forests, and limpid glacier-fed lakes
whose waters reflect the range of active
volcanoes towering on the eastern horizon.
These settlers advanced toward
the mountains, cutting and burning
their way through the temperate
forest. They built cities throughout
the central valley, and ports
the length of the indomitable
Pacific coast and on the banks
of innumerable rivers and lakes.
The serene landscape of the
region's central valley -wide,
rolling meadows, German style
haciendas, quiet, neat towns-
can to a large extent be attributed
to the hard work and vision
of these 19th century immigrants.
The forests, which so challenged
the first European settlers,
are a source of constant awe
to the modern traveler.
There are national and private
parks in Araucanía that
protect the last araucaria forests,
an age-old pine native to the
region aptly termed in English
the monkey puzzle tree. It dates
back to the Jurassic period
and is today a national monument
in Chile.
The cities of Temuco and Pucón,
built in the heart of Mapuche
country, are gateways to the
wide range of attractions that
the region offers, undoubtedly
one of the Chile's prime tourist
destinations.
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Farther
south, the Valdivia rain forest
-the world's second-largest temperate
rain forest- covers the Coastal
and Andes mountain ranges. The
cities of Valdivia, Osorno, Puerto
Varas, and Puerto Montt are good
places to start exploring the
beautiful Andes lakes, some of
which straddle the Chile-Argentina
border.
Still farther south, where the
central valley finally sinks into
the Pacific and the Chilean Patagonia
begins, we find magnificent ancient
alerce forests, a tree sometimes
referred to as the South American
redwood. Some hard-to-find specimens
are over 3500 years old.
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All
of the region's cities offer excellent
hotels, restaurants, shopping
centers, and transportation, as
well as attractions for all tastes,
ages, and physical fitness levels.
Of particular interest is the
chain of national parks that runs
along the border with Argentina
and protects numerous ecosystems,
from native forests to volcanic
plateaus.
There are many vacation options
for families or people with general
interests. Travelers can choose
to visit the parks, take an Andean
lake cruise towards Argentina,
or visit a myriad of vacation
spots along the lakeshores.
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For those with more specific interests
or adventure seekers, hiking, mountain
climbing, rafting, bird watching, mountain
biking, and horseback riding are just
a few of the almost unlimited possibilities
offered by Chile's lake and volcano region.
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