Panguipulli

Panguipulli sits at the western end of its lake in the country of seven lakes, and it calls itself the town of roses for the planting along its streets, put in from the middle of the twentieth century. Its church of San Sebastian was built in the 1940s by German Capuchin missionaries in a Bavarian idiom - timber, steep roofs, twin towers - which is not what the surrounding landscape leads you to expect. The town is a base for the lakes east of it, for Huilo Huilo further up the valley, and for the road to the Hua Hum crossing into Argentina. It is Mapuche country and the name is Mapudungun.

What you actually see

• Roses along the streets - planted from the mid twentieth century.
• A Bavarian-style mission church - built by German Capuchins in the 1940s.
• The western end of the lake - in the seven lakes country.
• A base for the interior - Huilo Huilo and the Argentine crossing.

When to go

December to March. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The town is a service centre rather than a destination in itself. Rain is frequent. The lakes east of it are the point, and reaching them needs a car. Services thin out considerably in winter.

Nearby

Huilo Huilo is east up the valley; Villarrica and Pucon are north.