Some 87 kilometers southeast of Temuco via the Panamericana and Ruta 199, lakeside Villarrica (population 30,859) occupies a favored site at Lago Villarrica’s southwestern edge, at its Río Toltén outlet. Villarrica marks the beginning of Chile’s most traditional resort region, where generations of families have spent their summers on the shores of lakes left by receding glaciers.

It also shares its name with Volcán Villarrica, a fuming 2,840-meter cone that’s Chile’s most active volcano, to the southeast. Much of this area was once wide-open country, but a construction boom of hotels and country houses between Villarrica and the neighboring resort of Pucón, to the east, is rapidly filling the gaps. Traditionally, frenetic Pucón gets most of the press, but many visitors prefer Villarrica’s more subdued ambience.

Getting There

Villarrica has a central Terminal de Buses (Av. Pedro de Valdivia 621), but some carriers have individual offices nearby. Buses Regionales Villarrica (Vicente Reyes 619, tel. 045/411871) has frequent buses to Pucón (US$1, 45 minutes), where there are connections to other regional destinations such as Curarrehue (US$2) and Puesco.

Buses Jac (Bilbao 610, tel. 045/411447) shuttles at least every 15–30 minutes between Temuco (US$2.50, one hour) and Pucón (US$1, 45 minutes). It also goes nine times daily to Caburgua (US$2) via Pucón in summer, less frequently the rest of the year.

Northbound long-distance services to Santiago and intermediates on the Panamericana are frequent, but some southbound services require backtracking to Temuco.