Conguillio National Park

Conguillio surrounds Llaima, one of the most active volcanoes in South America, which erupted as recently as 2008 and sent lava and lahars down its flanks; earlier flows are the black ground the park road crosses, some of it young enough that almost nothing grows on it. Around and above those flows stand araucaria forests - the monkey puzzle, a tree that can live over a thousand years, whose seeds were a staple food for the Pehuenche people and still are gathered. Lakes Conguillio and Verde sit in the basin, and the contrast of black lava, green araucaria and snow on the cone is what the park is known for.

History

Conguillío was declared a national park in 1950, and its name comes from the Mapuche words for "water with araucaria seeds". In 1983 UNESCO made the park, together with the Alto Bío Bío National Reserve, the Araucarias Biosphere Reserve, and on 17 April 2019 the wider Kütralkura Geopark around it joined UNESCO's Global Geoparks Network (Wikipedia, Conguillío National Park).

Highlights

• Llaima's lava fields - including flows from the 2008 eruption.
• Araucaria forest - trees that live over a thousand years.
• A Pehuenche food source - the seeds, still gathered today.
• Lakes in the basin - Conguillio and Verde below the cone.

When to go

December to March; snow closes much of the park in winter. A full day or more.

Practical notes

Roads inside are gravel and rough, and the north-south crossing is closed in winter. Volcanic activity can close sectors at short notice. Camping and refuge places book out in January and February. Weather changes fast.

Nearby

Malalcahuello reserve is north; Melipeuco and Temuco are west.

Key facts