Pucón Day Tours

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If you are looking for a great destination in Chile, head to Pucón. Pucón, in central Chile, is known as the place to go if you want adventures. Because the town is located in Chile’s Lake District and overlooked by Villarrica volcano, there are plenty of land and water adventures available. For the majority of them you will need to go with a Pucón tour company.

Booking Pucón Day Tours

With about 20 adventure tour companies lining the main street of Pucón you would think it would be easy to book an activity. Think again! As a solo traveler visiting during the shoulder season (April) I struggled to reserve activities directly through the companies. I like to have my travel days planned ahead of time, but it was basically impossible in Pucón. During the peak season (January & February) and traveling with someone else, may be a totally different scenario.

I was in Pucón at the beginning of April, so not too terribly far from peak season. It wasn’t busy at all though. Honestly I don’t know how these companies can survive when they only have regular tours for two months of the year. I asked my SUP guide about it and he said it was hard, but they can do rafting and climbing the volcano all year round. My question still is, is there anyone here to do that!?

The tour company system in Pucón is similar to other places in the world, but to me it doesn’t seem effective here. Along the main street in Pucón there is tour company after tour company, with a few shops and restaurants sprinkled in. They all run the same tours (described below) in very similar ways, times and prices.

Tours only run if there is enough people. In my experiences very few companies respond to emails. I had to visit each place in person and ask if they were running a particular tour…..thus why planning ahead is challenging. 

It was a lot of hassle and time spent visiting and talking with different agencies. Some places would take my number and say they would contact me if more people were interested. Other companies told me to come back or to call later to see if other people were booking.

If someone asked me (which they haven’t), I would say Pucón needs one tour company for each type of activity. If you want to go rafting you go to company A, if you want to go to Huilo Huilo go to company B, etc. Yes that might cause a monopoly, but it would be so much easier to collect all the people who wanted to do a particular tour!

If you find yourself in the same predicament as I was in, make sure to visit the tour companies in person as soon as possible after you arrive and see what is available. Also if you prefer a tour in English, this is important to check before booking!

Ideally book your Pucón day tours before arriving through a tour booking company instead of directly with the adventure company (you can book easily without going back and forth with each business). 

Pucón Day Tours

I of course didn’t have the time or option to try every type of tour in Pucón, but in my intense research and numerous visits to the various tourism agencies I found out a lot about the options!

Water Activities in Pucón

Rafting

One of the most common and easiest tours to book in Pucón is rafting. I didn’t go rafting here, but I did find out a lot of information about it. There is rafting bajo (where the rapids are lower and not intense) and rafting alto (where the rapids are higher and more intense). For rafting alto there is a cliff jump in the middle. Most companies say it is optional, but they encourage it. You are in the raft for about an hour and a half. My hostal host said all the rafting companies are about the same and he didn’t recommend a particular one.

Kayaking

If you have been wanting to give white-water kayaking a try, Pucón is the place for you! Well not in April – October it isn’t (all the agencies shut down). During peak season November – March you can go with a guide in a double kayak in the same river that the rafting takes place.

SUP

Stand-up paddle boarding isn’t as well known as rafting or kayaking here, but still a great experience. Thankfully Antü Rios y Montañas Agencia de Turismo Aventura, only charged a little extra and I got to go on a private tour. We were going downstream the whole time so there wasn’t a whole lot of paddling necessary, more steering than anything. Overall it was a pretty relaxing experiencing, floating down the river. There were some tiny rapids though. I wasn’t expecting those and they added a bit of excitement. The first ones I did on my knees and by the end I successfully made it through one standing up!

Hydrospeed

I had never heard of hydrospeed until I came to Pucón. With hydrospeed, you are using some sort of body-board to go down the river!

Boat Cruise

Right from Pucón you can take a short boat trip on Lake Villarrica. I went on a 45 minute cruise with Catamaron Don Ramon. They don’t have set times, or at least they don’t make them clear to the public! You can wander down to the water front at the end of Pucón’s main street to check the times. I sent them a message through FB and they replied that they were having a cruise in 20 minutes. From my hostal I rushed down and made it just in time! The commentary is all in Spanish, but you do get a nice relaxing cruise and views of Villarrica Volcano if you can’t understand Spanish.

Thermal Pools

After you get nice and sore from all your other adventures head to one of the numerous thermal pools (termas) in the area. The city map lists which pools are accessible by bus. You can easily visit one on your own. My visit to Termas Montevivo was included in my tour of the zone (below). The prices and amenities vary at the different places. Montevivo had a small hot pool and small cold pool outside. You can probably tell from the picture which one was the hot pool! Inside there was a medium sized hot pool. The Geometricas Hot Springs are one of the most popular to visit, but also one of the most beautiful.

Hiking Tours in Pucón

There are a few different trekking options. These are three of the most popular.

Climbing Volcan Villarica

I didn’t find out quite as much information about this one because with my leg healing I knew I wasn’t up for it yet. It is one of the top activities in Pucón and almost all the companies offer guided climbing experiences.

Huerquehue National Park

This one you can do as a tour or by yourself. You can take a public bus from the center of Pucon. The city maps that you will receive at your accommodation or can pick up from a tourist information center give the bus times.

Huilo Huilo

Huilo Huilo is a natural reserve that you can visit as a day tour. It’s also possible to stay right in the reserve. There are some pretty cool hotels there, so if you have the time and a way to get there (car or airport shuttle) you may want to spend a few nights at one of the interesting accommodations. There is a lot to do right at the reserve including self-guided hiking and active day tours in the area.

You can stay in Huilo Huilo Montaña Mágica Lodge, a mountain shaped hotel complete with vegetation and a waterfall! There’s also Huilo Huilo Nothofagus Hotel & Spa which is located in a wooden building with beautiful views of the reserve. If you prefer bungalow camping you can stay in Huilo Huilo Canopy Village. Click on the links to see what the accommodations are like!

Sightseeing in Pucón

Tour of the Zone

Many companies offer a sightseeing tour of the region’s natural places, such as Rio Trancura, Ojos del Caburgua, and Laguna Azul. The tours might vary slightly but they are referred to as a tour de la zona. As much as I want to use and practice Spanish, I try to take tours in English to make sure I get the full benefit. Because this wasn’t an adventure tour where my security was more at risk, I forgot to ask about the language. I’m sure you are predicting correctly that my tour was in Spanish!

There were two other Chileans, the guide and myself in the car. No-one else spoke a word of English, so along with seeing the sights I got some Spanish practice too! It is a nice tour to see the area and if you want something a little more relaxing, but I would have preferred something with a bit more action.

Where to Stay in Pucon

If you are looking for a budget accommodation on the nicer side, stay at Hostal Muller. The hostal is less than five minutes walk from the bus station and the start of the center of the town. Private rooms are available at very reasonable rates. There is a full kitchen that is kept very clean that you are able to use. Breakfast is included every morning. They will even make you eggs and omelettes for no additional charge!  The hosts are friendly and willing to help you with anything you might need.

More About Chile

• Santiago: What to Do in Santiago, Museo Histórico Nacional review, Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos review, Where to Stay in Santiago, Barrio República Neighborhood Guide
• Chiloé Island: How to get to the island, how to get around, where to stay, what to do and more.
• Puerto Varas: Rafting & Kayaking
• Central Chile 3 Week Itinerary including Santiago and the Chilean Lakes District

Not quite what you are looking for? Don’t worry, I can help! Through my Personal Travel Planning service I can plan the perfect Chile itinerary to meet your travel needs…or any other place you dream of visiting! 

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