Southern
Chile.
The lake and volcano region of southern
Chile is the expression of nature
in its inimitable beauty and surprising
exuberance. |
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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. 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.
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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. |
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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.
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.
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. 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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