Huerquehue National Park

Huerquehue sits in the coastal-facing hills above Lake Caburgua and its main route, the Sendero Los Lagos, climbs about eight kilometres through forest to a plateau holding the small lakes Chico, Toro and Verde, with araucaria standing among coigue and lenga on the upper slopes. The climb is steady rather than steep and the reward at the top is a set of quiet lakes and, on a clear day, Villarrica volcano across the valley. It was protected in 1967 and is the walking counterpart to Villarrica's volcano climb - the other thing people based in Pucon do. Numbers on the trail are capped in high season.

What you actually see

• Araucaria among coigue and lenga - on the upper slopes.
• A chain of small lakes - Chico, Toro and Verde on the plateau.
• Villarrica across the valley - visible from the top in clear weather.
• A steady eight kilometre climb - the park's main route.

When to go

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

Honest expectations

Trail numbers are capped in summer and entry closes early in the day. The last road is gravel. Rain here is frequent and the trail gets muddy. Facilities are camping and basic.

Nearby

Lake Caburgua is below; Pucon and Villarrica are south-west.