El Cani Sanctuary

The Cani forest above Pucon was about to be logged when a group of conservationists and local people raised money to buy it in 1991, creating what is generally counted the first private protected area in Chile and setting a pattern that Pumalin and others followed at much larger scale. It covers around five hundred hectares of araucaria, coigue and lenga, with a chain of small lagoons in old volcanic craters and a lookout at about 1,550 metres from which Villarrica, Llaima, Lanin and Quetrupillan are all visible. The trail climbs steadily for about four hours to the top and back down the same way.

What you actually see

• Chile's first private protected area - bought in 1991 to stop logging.
• Araucaria, coigue and lenga - across about five hundred hectares.
• Lagoons in old craters - on the plateau below the lookout.
• Four volcanoes from the top - Villarrica, Llaima, Lanin and Quetrupillan.

When to go

December to April; snow closes the upper trail in winter. A full day.

Honest expectations

The climb is steady and long, and the top is often in cloud. Guides are recommended and sometimes required for the upper section. Facilities are a refuge and nothing else. Rain is frequent.

Nearby

Pucon is west; Huerquehue park is north.