Accommodations and Food

Along the south shore of Laguna Conguillío, Conaf has five campgrounds under private concession: The campground administration is at Los Ñirres (44 sites), while there are smaller clusters at Los Carpinteros (12 sites), La Caseta (12 sites), El Estero (10 sites), and El Hoyón (10 sites). Rates are US$28 per site for up to six people in summer and during Semana Santa, but Conaf sets aside a handful of El Estero sites for bicyclists and backpackers (US$5.50 pp).

Ten kilometers northwest of Laguna Conguillío, there are 12 more sites at Laguna Captrén, which go for US$28 in summer but half that the rest of the year. For more information or reservations in Temuco [1], contact Conaf (tel. 045/298114), though it’s possible a new concessionaire will take over the facility.

Between the park administration and the Los Ñirres campground, there are also cabañas, built around pewen trunks, for up to four persons (US$83) and up to eight persons (US$102); again, contact Conaf in Temuco [1] for details. In the peak summer season, a restaurant and store operate on the lakeshore.

At Laguna Verde, 18 kilometers north of Melipeuco [2], the private Cabañas La Baita Conguillío (Casilla 492, Villarrica, tel. 045/416410, cel. 099/7332442, www.labaitaconguillio.cl [3], US$75–102) has cabañas sleeping 4–8 people.

The modern Centro de Ski las Araucarias (tel. 045/562313, www.skiAraucarias.cl [4]) has a variety of accommodations. Its Refugio Las Paraguas has dorm beds (US$11 pp with your own sleeping bag) and one six-bed apartment (US$89), while the Refugio Pehuén also has dorms (US$15 pp) and doubles with shared bath (US$37) and private bath (US$46). Facilities at the Apartment Hotel Llaima (US$110) can sleep up to four.