In Malalcahuello, a small rural town close to Volcano Lonquimay, the owners of tourist establishments are preparing to receive tourists coming to one of the best areas to see the total eclipse.

Pucon is a popular tourist town with many accommodation options ranging from 5 star hotels to cabins and hostels and some camping sites. Just some 100km from Pucon in a straight line one finds Malalcahuello, lying at the foot of Volcano Lonquimay in the Andes mountain range. Both locations will be good locations to view the eclipse, weather permitting.

For those that prefer quiet places, Malalcahuello is a good option. From here one can visit Conguillío National Park, Malalcahuello National Reserve and lakes Icalma and Galletué. The Cautín river runs past the town on its way from the mountains to the sea.

Some owners of cabins, lodges and hotels are offering to assist their guests with transport to the best places to see the eclipse around Malalcahuello.

Activities in and around Malalcahuello

There are many activities to do in and around Malalcahuello. It is a great place to explore the National Parks and walking trails, including the possibility to climb volcanoes. You can take a cultural tour with local indigenous people, go on a horseride, kayak or rafting trip as well as canopy and rápel. There are two cycleways totaling 44km. More relaxing activities include thermal baths , birdwatching, view artesan products and try the local gastronomy.

Eclipse Tour

The owners of the mountain chalets Chile Wild-Las Vertientes, Malalcahuello are organising for their guests to go up to their private conservation property where one can walk through ancient Monkey Puzzle forest and enter Conguillío National Park to a great spot for seeing the eclipse if the day is clear. The property has some 120 hectares of native forest adjoining Conguillío National Park and Sierra Nevada Volcano. Click here to see our Eclipse Tour Package or click here to contact us.

Restrictions of access to Conguillío National Park

It´s important for the prospective visitor to realise that the Park is sometimes closed by the forestry and parks service that administers the Park, CONAF. The circumstances in which they close the Park include snow in winter and spring and in summer when the maximum capacity of vehicles entering the Park is reached.

¿How can I find out if the Park is open?

If the Park is closed, the chances are noone answers the phone. Unfortunately you cannot rely on them putting a message on the phone saying that they are closed. The website also doesn´t have any information re the open/closed status. The contact phone numbers you can call and the email are below.

• Email: parque.conguillio@conaf.cl
• Phone: Conguillío National Park +56 22840 6818.
• CONAF Temuco: +56(45)2298210.

Once it starts to snow in the region, the Park will be closed to vehicles. CONAF tends to close the walking tracks also for safety reasons.

In summer Conguillío National Park is very popular with the residents of the region which, on busy weekends, may result in the Park being closed by the administration due to the number of vehicles entering the Park. They way to ensure your trip is not wasted, is to ensure that you arrive prior to 11am. Most Chileans get going quite late in the morning.

Other times when you need to be careful about accessing the Park is after rain. The internal roads are narrow and become muddy and slippery. Single traction vehicles frequently have trouble on the steep sections of road at the northern end of the Park and end up blocking the traffic in both directions until someone can haul them out. 4WD vehicles with good tyres don´t have problems transiting the Park in wet conditions.

This year (2020), there is doubt whether the ski centres in Chile will be able to open in time for the start of the ski season due to the Coronavirus. When they do open, it will most certainly be with the social distancing measures required for the the prevention of Coronavirus, meaning a reduced capacity of visitors per day.

An alternative option to take advantage of the snow and the reduced number of tourists is to go backcountry and practise randonnée o splitboard, or trekking with snow shoes. If you haven´t done any of these previously, you can rent some equipment and take a class or tour or go out with an experienced friend.

Backcountry excursions don´t have to be as serious and difficult as shown in this video, but I´ve included it to show the exhiliration that one feels on being out in nature, in virgin snow with no tracks, surrounded by the milennial Araucaria forest http://<a href=”https://www.youtube.com/wahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvK_sUs0x1w&feature=youtu.betch?v=NvK_sUs0x1w&feature=youtu.be” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”></a>

Nevados de Chillan

This ski centre is the largest centre south of Santiago. There are two areas of accommodation: Los Nevados de Chillan and the second, Las Trancas, 7km from the ski centre.

There are short and longer routes for randonnée leaving from Nevados de Chillan.In a couple of hours one can get to the Garganta del Diablo (Devil´s Throat) hut, one of the few mountain huts that exist in Chile. The hut is delapidated but one can shelter there and even use it as a base from which to explore backcountry routes and climbs.

Corralco

At Corralco ski centre and the surrounding mountains, some 7 metres (23 feet)of snow accumulates. Some 12km from Corralco the mountain village, Malalcahuello, offers alternative and cheaper accommodation.

If Corralco ski centre doesn´t open in June or July 2020, equally one can enjoy ranndonée around Volcano Lonquimay and in the Araucaria forest surrounding Malalcahuello.

There are two options that are popular with backcountry skiers and splitboarders. One of those places is called Los Arenales, located between Corralco and the small city of Lonquimay; it has a refugio where you can stay and a cafeteria/restaurant. The second option is Sierra Nevada. The mountain chalets Chile Wild-Las Vertientes de Malalcahuello, who own a conservation property on the mountain, offer professionally guided tours of the route which starts behind the town of Malalcahuello. Sierra Nevada can also be accessed from the valley behind the Termas de Malalcahuello. Both routes involve traversing through Araucaria and Nothofagus forest and arriving at a glacier if you manage to get to the summit. For both routes it is recommended to go with an experienced local mountaineer or professional guide.

In the region of the Araucanía the Pehuenche/Pewenche and Puelche people were hunters and gatherers that depended on animals such as the Ñandu and Guanaco plus the seeds from the emblematic and sacred Araucaria tree.

Mapuche, inclduing Pehuenche, society was and still is organised by families, or “Lof”. The head or “Lonko” of each family met with other Lonkos to choose a military chief for the particular battle of military operation in question.

It is said that one of the reasons why the Mapuche managed to successfully resist the invaders for so long (some 400 years), was this social organisation that did not depend on just one strong leader.

Around 1870, the colonists advanced south of the Bio Bio River and confiscated Mapuche territory. Until today the loss of territory and the destruction of their culture is a cause for much angst and sometimes protests and resistance actions.

In the city of Temuco one can visit the cultural museum where the history of the Mapuche is presented, as well as in the Pre-Columbian Museum in Santiago, below the Moneda (Parliament House).

Visiting the area around Volcano Lonquimay and the city sharing the same name, one can encounter many descendents of these brave warrior people. Many families are integrated into society, many that once relied on subsistence agriculture are embracing tourism and offer tours and local foods.

As a tourist, one can help the local Pewenche people and learn from them about the Mapuche culture and their personal histories by taking their tours, buying their handicrafts and chatting to them. Just one note, remember to avoid buying the fruting bodies of the Araucaria tree in the months of January and February as the fruits are not ready and people try to knock them off the trees in order to make money from tourists in those months before they are naturally ready to drop from the tree. This action can damage the trees which are extraordinarily slow growing and are listed as Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature).

Originating in the Andes Mountains, the Cautín passes Volcano Lonquimay and arrives to the antiquated town called Curacautin, with some force but it is wide and has many peaceful stretches, ideal for a family adventure with children.

Epu Pewen is the company we went with. They accept children from 7 years old and provide all the instruction and safety gear required (wetsuit, booties, lifejacket); BYO sunscreen. The company offers three tours, one on the upper stretch of the river, towards Malalcahuello, rated grade 2-3, a second tour on the lower stretch, close to the town, rated 2 and a longer one that lasts half a day encompassing both sections. We did the lower section and although rated the easiest, still managed to raise some squeals when the guide navigated us into the waves and against the rocky outcrops.

The trip took us approximately 3 hours from when we met at the store to get our gear to the the return at the same place, all in all about 1-1.5 hours in the water. Apart from the rapids, there were calm stretches when we could enjoy looking at the plants and trees lining the banks and observe water birds such as the Cortacorriente (Merganetta armata armata), a white-faced duck that lives in fast running rivers in South America. The guide was fun, relaxed, careful and confident, making the participants feel relaxed and happy. Recomendable on a hot sunny day. The cost ranges from CLP$20.000 – $35.000 per person depending on which tour you choose(2019).

Snowkite is a sport developed from kiteboarding, a sport practised in the ocean and on lakes. In fact, it is recommended to learn kiteboarding prior to learning how to snowkite.

One of the benefits of the sport is that you can reach the tops of ski slpes without dependence on mechanical means, avoiding the queues and allowing one to go off piste and travel quite some distance. The downside is the dependence on wind, not too much and not too little.

Where should you begin?

First it is recommended to obtain a high level of ski or snowboard, once you have dominated this, one can add the kite. It is really necessary to practise with the kite, without the board to learn how to control the kite and be able to navigate with control.

It is very important to be able to read the climatic conditions and know when and where you can snowkite, in order to enjoy the sport and avoid accidents. Similar to other extreme sports, it is technical and potentially dangerous. If you take classes with an instructor and take care you will be able to enjoy to the maximum this sport which is growing in popularity worldwide.

The physical benefits of snowkiting include upper body strength, a workout for your gluteus muscles and cuadriceps. It is one of the warmest sports for winter that you can do.

In Corralco the cost of rental for snowkite gear is CLP$28.000 and a one hour class for up to two people will cost you CLP $50.000 (around USD $115 in total).

1. Portillo is a ski resort close to the capital, Santiago, where you can enjoy their spa complete with their climatised outdoor pool, weekend classes of Watsu water therapy and water fitness classes, massage services, jacuzzi. They also have a gymnasium and fitness centre.
2. Farellones ski centre Hotel Posada also in the metropolitan region of Chile, has a spa where you can enjoy hydromassage in a jacuzzi but there are no other massage services offered. In fact, you can find other hotels or apartments that also offer hot tubs.
3. Nevados de Chillan, located in the eighth region (Bio Bio), has a couple of spa options, Hotel alto Nevado offers massage therapy, fangotherapy and thermal bathing, spa & sauna. Valle Hermoso apartments, located 5km from Hotel Nevados de Chillan, offer thermal water pools, jacuzzi and spa complete with fangotherapy (application of mud over the body)and other types of massage.
4. Corralco Ski Resort & Hotel in the ninth (Araucanía) region of Chile has an outdoor pool, a climatised indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna and massage services. The nearby Termas de Malalcahuello also offer indoor thermal bathing and massage treatments. Whilst other accommodation services such as Amavida also offer hot tubs and massage services. In fact Malalcahuello abounds with accommodation options, the higher end ones all of which offer either hot tubs or sauna with or without massage.

Apart from the spectacular scenery, the traveller can find much interesting flora and fauna typical of the region, birdwatching being a particularly interesting activity given the amount of native forest in Malalcahuello-Nalcas National Reserve, Conguillío, Tolhuaca and China Muerta National Parks. Autumn is a particularly rewarding time to visit for photographers as the colours of autumn are on full show towards the end of April and the first day or two of May.

If you are an outdoor or sports enthusiast, the clean mountain air and native forest offer great opportunities for running, trekking, mountain bike or cycle touring in any of the reserves or national parks, Tolhuaca, Malalcahuello and Conguillío. The rural scenery makes walking a pleasant activity whilst the lakes, waterfalls and rivers are quiet and peaceful places to visit or try kayaking, boating or rafting. Horseriding is another popular option.

Winter options include everything to do with skiing, snowboard and cross country or backcountry ski. Corralco ski centre at the base of Volcano Lonquimay is the biggest centre but most of the time it doesn´t have much of a queue compared to the centres close to Santiago. A smaller ski centre is located in Conguillío National Park, Las Araucarias. Backcountry options include Volcano Lonquimay, Sierra Nevada and Volcano Llaima. Off days can be spent at one of the thermal baths in the area, such as Malalcahuello, Manzanar, Cañon del Blanco or Malleco. Most of the thermal baths are developed centres with restaurant, massage services, jacuzzi, spa and manicured gardens. The most simple one is Cañon del Blanco where you can bathe surrounded by native forest in a beautiful valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

To enjoy all these activities, there are many options for accommodation ranging form camping to 4 star hotels. If you are planning to travel south from Santiago, we recommend visitng this area with time to enjoy all that it has to offer.

Along the Andes mountain range in the central and south of Chile, one can find cabins or chalets located near volcanos, national parks and thermal baths. Examples include Las Trancas near Chillan, Volcano Lonquimay near ski centre Corralco, Conguillio and Huerquehue National Parks. Chilean cabins/chalets can be very cheap and basic or luxurious including many optional extras such as spa, sauna, restaurant etc.

The Araucanía region, the ninth region of Chile, marks the start of ancient forests, that Patagonia in the south of Chile, is famous for. Thousand year old Monkey Puzzle trees can be found in the Araucanía region whilst regions further south are famous for their Alerce trees and Valdivian temperate rainforest. Walking/hiking tours, nature-based holidays and ski vacations are a popular option combined with accommodation in vacational cabins that one finds dotted trhoughout the regions.

Choosing a cabin for one´s vacation, offers the possibility to feel more at home whilst travelling. The online travel agencies have evaluation systems that, whilst not foolproof, may assist in selecting the right cabin, based on photos and evaluations of previous guests.

If you are reading this blog, then you have heard of Malalcahuello, a small rural town in the central-south of Chile, 120km from the city of Temuco towards the Andes mountains. In the local pehuenche indigenous language, Malalcahuello means “horse corral”. You can still occasionally see horses passing through the main street, just as the grandmothers and grandfathers of the town describe their young lives in Malalcahuello. In their time, the people of the town were sustained by working in the forestry industry, cutting native forest trees and freighting them by steam train further afield for processing. When the timber cutting period finished, in the 1980´s, the town diminished into a sleepy backwater.

Around 2012, the town awoke and began growing again, this time from the base of ski toursim, encouraged by the reconstruction of Hotel and ski centre Corralco. In low season (early summer and autumn), there are many options for renting a mountain cabin in and around Malalcahuello but during the school holidays and ski season the population more than triples in size and finding something to rent can be complicated unless previously booked.

Do you need to book accommodation in advance in Malalcahuello?

The answer to this question depends on the season you are booking. In school holidays of February and July, it is necessary to book at least two weeks prior and probably more if you have specific needs to satisfy. During ski season, typically, people book from 8 months prior to one month prior. If you are a foreigner you can relax a little, knowing that Chileans on the whole, leave their reservations to the last minute.
How can I find a good holiday cabin?

Today the internet makes it fairly easy, however, it is more reliable to receive recommendations from friends. The internet sometimes doesn´t show the truth so it is always wise to ask a few questions directly to the owner/manager. The large internet-based booking agencies charge establishments a commision which some owners will reflect in the prices so it may be worth checking if the prices differ on their own webpage.

A good place to start looking for accommodation in Malalcahuello is the webpage of the local Tourism organisation . In Malalcahuello the variety of cabins is sufficient to provide something for everyone in terms of price and taste. Some are very basic and others well equipped and comfortable. Whether the cabin is well insulated and heated is a very important theme in the cooler months. Another important them, particularly in winter, is whether the cabin has a back-up energy supply if there is a cut to the electricity supply. Some cabins don´t have internet or operate on generators with limited energy supplies.

What is the best location?

The answer to this question is subjective. If a person is interested in thermal baths, proximity to local shops, the river or the plaza, then a cabin in the centre of the township will be the best choice. However, others are interested in a quiet rural setting or being close to the ski centre Corralco and Malalcahuello Reserve. Corralco ski centre is approximately 10km from the town of Malalcahuello, whilst the thermal baths are just 1-2km.