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.

History

Mapuche lived along the lakes and rivers here before the first written mention of Panguipulli in 1776, and the name is Mapudungun for "hill of the puma". Guillermo Angermaier, who settled on the western shore of the lake in 1885, was the first non-Indigenous settler; the Capuchin order founded a mission in 1903 and built the first schools, the city was officially founded in 1946, and in 1947 the Capuchins built its twin-towered wooden church, now a landmark (Wikipedia, Panguipulli).

What's there

• 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.

Things to know

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.

Key facts