Salto El Leon

Salto El Leon drops around ninety metres off a lava step on the Rio Carhuello outside Pucon into a bowl of rock with forest above it, and it is the largest of the falls in the immediate area. The land is private and the owners charge for access, maintaining a path and viewpoints down to the base - the descent is steep and the return is the work. Flow is strong through the snowmelt period and drops later in the summer. Because it is close to Pucon it is a standard half day from the town, usually combined with the volcano road or the hot springs east of it.

What you'll find

• A ninety metre drop - the largest fall near Pucon.
• A bowl of rock and forest - the basin below it.
• Private land with a maintained path - fee collected at the entrance.
• Flow strongest with snowmelt - and thinner in late summer.

When to go

December to March; strongest early in that window. Half a day.

Before you go

The path down is steep and slippery and the climb back is the harder half. It thins noticeably in late summer. Access is charged and hours are set. The track from the road is rough.

Nearby

Pucon is west; Villarrica volcano is south along the same road.

Key facts