Pucón, Chile

When planning our great big adventure, we knew that we wanted to head towards Southern Chile. We love being outdoors, we love showing our kids how to be active and instilling in them a love of the outdoors, and the trees and mountains intrigued us. Pucon was definitely a place for us!

We arrived at night and stayed at the first hostel we could find because it was very late. Luckily there are hostels everywhere! Right next to our hostel, we found a great restaurant with cheap and delicious food.

Everything was going smoothly until...Adeline lost her tooth! It is always exciting when children loose teeth, but what happens in South America? Does the tooth fairy come all the way here, or is that just in North America? We decided to just put the tooth in a cup of water like we normally do, and the next morning we found that the tooth fairy does come to South America too! Phew! We were also curious to see if the tooth fairy would leave Canadian or Chilean money since we are Canadian. Sure enough, she left Chilean money, and Adeline decided to use it to buy some orange juice. Good choice!

We had to find a new hostel the next day because our current hostel was already booked, so we packed our bags and walked around town for a bit and found another great hostel called Hostel Nativa. This was a great find! The owners are an Australian family so it was a welcome break to have some native English speakers with, and it just so happened they were a brand new hostel and we arrived the day they were celebrating their inaugeration with a big party with food and drinks! What a welcome! The ladies were so helpful and connected us with companies so we could participate in many activities.

1. Termes Pazones

Our first adventure was taking the bus to the Pazones Thermal Springs. Most hostels and tourist companies direct tourists to the Geometricas Thermal Springs, which I hear is amazing. There are many wonderful pools with different temperatures and a path that leads to a waterfall, but they are also very expensive. For a family travelling on a shoestring budget, we were happy when the the ladies at the hostel suggested we try the Termes Pazones instead. We were told where to catch the bus and explained that it was more rustic. It cost us about $16 CAD each, and it was amazing! There were about 5 or 6 thermal pools of different temperatures. The temperatures even varied inside each pool. Sometimes when you found a nice comfortable spot, a wave of scorching water came by and you would have to find a new place until it cooled down. Then there were pools that had hot water on top, and cold water down below.

Termes Pazones was definitely rustic in that there were only a few change rooms and some shelves for our belongings. All the pools were made of stones with a couple of railings leading into the water. Some might find the facility very basic, but we thought that it was beautiful. Being in a place away from the glitz and glamour really help you feel the natural beauty Mother Nature has to offer.

We went to the Termes Pazones on a rainy day which made it extra special. The water from the pools was steamy and the cool rain fell gently cooling us down at the same time. It was magical!

2. Rafting
Pucón is known for adventurous activities and one of these activities is rafting! David and I have each gone rafting before, but not the kids. We love travelling by canoe, but never have we as a family been on white water so I was wondering how the kids would handle it! Since it was still spring, the water was still high and pretty cold (though I am not sure how much warmer the river ever really gets), so we were happy to get full wetsuits (even the boots)! After getting dressed we learned a few commands and hit the water. The most important safety tip that the kids learned was how to brace their feet in the boat so they wouldn’t be bounced out.

Before long, we were on the rapids and being bumped up and down while being ordered to paddle and stop paddling, and celebrating by giving each other high fives in the air with our paddles. The kids had a great time! There was even a conversation as to which was better; Splash Mountain at Disney World, or the rafting.

At one point the river slowed and the guide suggested that we all jump in and enjoy the river...not a chance said the Havixbecks! It’s great to be adventurous but it is also good to know your limits! Adeline’s hands were already so cold they were numb, and with my allergy to the cold, we all decided to pass! Maybe another time.

After about 5 rapids and 45 minutes later, our ride was over. Definitely a great way to spend a day in nature in Chile!

3. Climbing up Volcan Villarrica

When you step out of the bus in Pucón, you can’t miss the beautiful Volcan Villarrica! It is just there looking beautiful. Everywhere you go in town, as you cross intersections, as you pass breaks in the houses and buildings, it’s there.

A beautiful view of Volcan Villarrica. 

Climbing this beautiful volcano is another popular activity for tourists here. Knowing that Charlie is a great hiker and loves hiking, we thought we would try and find a company that would allow him to come along too. We haven’t seen too many families travelling with children, and it is pretty rare for families to bring children on extreme activities such as hiking volcanoes, but we knew that Charlie could do it. After visiting a couple of agencies, we found one that would allow Charlie to come. Adeline ended up staying back at the hostel with one of the volunteers we got to know. They spent the day at the beach and eating ice cream!

For David, Charlie and I, the day began very early! We were picked up at 6:00 am from the hostel and were taken to the office where were geared up! Helmets, ice axes, coats, mitts, hiking boots, crampons, gas masks and sleds! We were also instructed to put on lots of sunscreen and pack snacks and water. Soon we were on our way.

At the base of the volcano, we were given a choice to take a ski lift part of the way up (and to cut about an hour off of our hike). We didn’t think that we would need to do this, but the guides strongly suggested that Charlie (and at least one parent) take the chairlift up, so Charlie and I went up with a guide. We were under the impression that once we arrived at the top of the ski lift, we would wait for the rest of the group before continuing (otherwise David would have come with us too), but instead, the guide that went with us decided to get a head start and expected the rest of the group (and David) to slowly catch up...but unfortunately this never happened. Charlie is such a champion hiker that he plowed right up the cone of the volcano and Charlie and I summited well before the rest of the group!

First time on Crampons!

Charlie rocked it up the volcano!

The higher we climbed, the more exciting the climb became, and the better the views! Near the top, we were climbing on a glacier and the snow became quite a bit harder and a little more slick which made us grateful to have the crampons and ice axes! We occasionally took breaks for a little snack and a some water, but to stop we needed a safe place to rest, so we had to dig some holes into the snow to sit in because the slope was quite steep.  

Digging a place to sit. 

We were lucky that we climbed the day that we did. Aently the previous was so windy that the guide had to build a shelter to protect the hikers from the wind each time they stopped, or else they would likely be blown over and perhaps injured. But we never stopped long. Charlie was always ready to keep going.

Hanging out by the glacier on the way to the top!

Just below the top, we dug some holes for our bags, took out our gas masks and headed to the crater. Villarrica is an active volcano and toxic gas is always being emitted, so it was very important to be wearing the gas mask. But even with it on, and wearing sunglasses, it made our eyes water, and we could still smell the terrible gases. Just before reaching the top, Villarrica grunted and shot out some small rocks at Charlie and I. We had to turn away to avoid getting a face full of rock. They were small rocks, but quite sharp. When we tried to pick them up, they were still slightly warm to the touch and crumbled easily in our hands.

Looking down at the crater of Volcan Villarrica!

Soon the rest of the group caught up. It was nice for everyone to be together again! While exploring the top, the volcano growled a few times, which was a bit shocking at first. For people who have never been at the top of an active volcano before, we were not sure if that meant the volcano was becoming more active, and if we should be worried. But the guide did not seem to be concerned, so neither were we.

After soaking in some amazing views, it was time to descend! We had to take off our crampons, put on some gaters and ski pants and then an extra protective layer which the guides were calling our diaper! The last piece of equipment we attached was a small plastic sled. To get down the volcano, we had to slide down!!

Sliding down the volcano!

Dragging our ice axes in the snow behind us to control speed, we slid down the volcano. Sometimes with great control, but most of the time not. If you were near the end of the line, the previous sliders may have naturally created a few bumps in the path which was the unfortunate case for David. On our second slide down, he hit a bump and probably fractured his tail bone on the impact. 

David had to be creative to get down all of the slides.

The remaining slides were a bit of a challenge in that he not only had to think about controlling his speed and direction, but had to find a way not to be on his tailbone either. Luckily, the further we descended, the warmer the snow became and the slower we were sliding.

When we got to the bottom, Charlie took advantage of the sticky snow and made a snowman! Even with missing winter this year, we still got a chance to play with snow!

Happy to make a snowman since we missed our winter this year!

It took a little while to recover from the hike. Hiking in someone else’s hiking boots was the hardest for me. My heals were rubbed raw and toes were achy. All of us had sunburns. We applied sunscreen a couple of times on the hike, but the reflection from the snow was pretty powerful. And poor David still has a sore tailbone, that is not likely to recover for another few months. But it was an adventure I am glad that we were able to do, and will be one of the most memorable adventures from the trip for sure!

4. Puesco Fest

After a day of physical exertion and adventure, a day at Puesco Fest was just what we needed. For the readers from Winnipeg, it is a lot like a smaller Folkfest. People camp out, or come for the day, and chill by the river, play with the circus art activities (juggling, aerial silks, slack lines), or participating in the many small workshops they offered (yoga, Afro dance, etc). There was a stage set up for live music, unfortunately there were only sound checks while we were there.

Another name for the festival is the Free River Festival, as there is also a white water kayaking competition. Our rafting guide from a few days previous was participating in the competition. We didn’t get to see him, but hopefully he did well!

Charlie spent the day working on his devil stick skills, Adeline played with some girls on the aerial silks, and David and I mostly just sat back and relaxed and enjoyed the environment.

For people that are familiar with these type of festivals, you will know that toileting can take some organizing. Back at home there would be row upon row of outhouses, but a festival like this has a strong focus on having the smallest impact on Mother Nature so it had dry composting toilets and “Pee She’s”, which was basically a small urinal made of sheet metal that would accommodate both girls (who can squat) and boys, with a wooden divider to allow some privacy. There was a bit of a splash factor, but I love the idea! All the pee just drained onto the ground below, so there could have been a smell factor later in the festival, but it wasn’t a problem while we were there at all.

Another fun part for Charlie and Adeline was that many people brought their dogs. We’ve noticed that in South America, rules and etiquette regarding dogs is a bit different. There are fewer people having their dogs on leashes and really they  just let them wander about. I have seen people just letting their dogs out like they would let a cat out, the dog goes about its business exploring the neighbourhood, sniffing out some food scraps, having a little fun with other dogs (and maybe a few people) and then heading back home. This was no different at Puesco fest. There were several dogs, just being dogs which was great for Charlie and Adeline who joined in the puppy dog fun, running and chasing each other. It was definitely a great day. A perfect way to recover from the challenge of the day before.

5. Ojos del Caburgua and Ziplining

Pucón is known for its outdoor adventures, but none of the adventures actually take place in Pucón, but everything is a relatively short ride away. Wanting another day out in the great outdoors, we hopped on a bus to head to Lago Caburgua (a pretty lake with a white sand beach). We knew that there was an interesting site along the way called the Ojos del Caburgua, so we hopped off the bus to have a look, which ended up being a very pretty (and very short) walk to two beautiful pools of water being fed by two separate water falls.

Adeline was pumped when she saw the ziplining, which in Chile they call “Canopy”. Since she did not get to have the adventure on Volcan Villarrica with us, we thought she should get a chance to have an adventure too, so Adeline, Charlie and I went ziplining! There were nine zips and it was a lot of fun! Some of the pathways were really close to the trees and it really looked like there wouldn’t be enough room to clear them, but alas, we made it unscathed, but bursting with excitement and enjoyment!

We had such a great time at the Ojos, that we didn’t even bother to continue on to Lago Caburgua, we just took our time and went back to Pucón to enjoy the rest of the day.

6. Parque Huerquehue

Our last adventure based out of Pucón was hiking through the Huerquehue National Park. It was a beautiful hike through forests of various trees. From bamboo shoots to huge old trees covered in moss and climbing vines, to the unique Monkey Puzzle trees. 

One of the many Monkey Puzzle Trees in Huerquehue National Park.

A young Monkey Puzzle Tree in the Plaza de Armas in Pucón

It was nice being in tall trees again. It reminded us of hiking on the coast of Vancouver, Canada.

We found lots of old hollowed out trees on our hike!

There were plenty of big trees to play on also!

The hike took us up and down and around several small lakes. Past two beautiful waterfalls and finally to Lago Verde where we stopped and played near the waters edge that was home to an abundance of small lizards!

Taking a break at Lago Verde

It felt good to get back into the wilderness with beautiful trees!