Lago Ranco surroundings: 7 not-to-be-missed outings

Lago Ranco surroundings: an unforgettable experience

Today we would like to recommend a beautiful area in the south of Chile with great tourist potential. We are referring to the Lago Ranco basin. Here, together with Parque Futangue, we put together a list of 7 options for walks. You can enjoy from adrenaline-filled river descents to trails with panoramic views of the area that will make your visit an unforgettable experience. Don’t miss it!

Lago Ranco basin, declared Zone of Tourist Interest</h3>

The Lago Ranco basin area was declared a Zone of Tourist Interest (ZOIT) in 2014. It was recognized because an enviable landscape. Lago Ranco and its crystal clear waters, the lush Valdiv

ian forest and a relief marked by the Carrán, Puyehue and Caulle volcanoes. This is the destination you think of when you are in search of exuberant nature. Here, you can also find rural areas rich in history and ancestral cultures, such as the Mapuche-Huilliche culture.

Futangue Park is one of the private protected areas that make u

p this landscape. Today, we would like to invite you to discover 7 walks that range from adrenaline-filled river descents to trails with panoramic views of the area. It will make your visit an unforgettable experience.

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1. Climbing to the summit of Cerro Mayo

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At 1,300 meters above sea level, it is one of the highest peaks of Lago Ranco surroundings and definitely an excellent option for trekking lovers. It is a climb with a slope of 1000 m of slope that passes through a dense Valdivian forest of coigües, tineos, tepas, ulmos and mañíos, and that delivers a great reward: a panoramic view of the lake, its islands, the valleys of Riñinahue and Nilahue that go to the east and southeast, the volcanoes that surround the basin and the Caulle range to the south.

“Everything is very well marked, you won’t get lost”

ass=”main-text c-gray”>Camila Silva, a trekking enthusiast who visited the Futangue Park – where Cerro Mayo is located – last November, tells us about this trail: “It is about two hours up and two hours down, and it has a very intense part. The good thing about the ascent of the hill is that everything is very well marked, you won’t get lost, and it has wooden steps that make the walk easier”.

<p>class=”main-text c-gray”>Among its main attributes are the views that can be obtained from its viewpoints along the route and the fact that it is a place where you won’t find so many people on the trail. “There are different marked viewpoints, you start to see first the hills in the surroundings, there is another one where you see the lake and the final one that has the panoramic view towards the lake, the hills and the mountain range.

When we went there it had rained the day before and even the hills looked blue. It was very beautiful”, says Camila and adds: ‘Even if you feel very tired on the way, the final view is 100% worth

The trail can be reached by 4×4 vehicle up to the El Vado sector, where the hike to the summit begins.

2. Enjoy the gastronomy of the Restaurant “Mesón del Caulle”.

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<p class=”main-text c-gray”>Our second recommendation goes hand in hand with the first one, because what better way to end an afternoon enjoying nature than going to a re

staurant that uses local products from the Valdivian forest and coast with a gourmet touch. The restaurant’s chef is Cristian Cosme, a former sous-chef at Awasi Atacama, and the restaurant is open to the public; it is not necessary to be a guest of the hotel, but reservations are required.

Local ingredients to enjoy

“Our restaurant has a strong local identity. At breakfast there is ulmo honey harvested in the park itself; vinegars are used in salads made from maqui, Chilean hazelnut butter, seafood from the coast of Valdivia, and we buy products from many local artisans”, says Matías Ruiz-Tagle, Director of Futangue Park.

We also buy products from many local artisans,” says Matías Ruiz-Tagle, Director of Parque Futangue. Some of their signature dishes? Their deer tartare, beef tenderloin with maqui mashed potatoes and creole sauce or baked trout with native potato confit, herb pesto and Chilean-style salad.</p>

The restaurant season starts on September 18 from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm and from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm..

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3. Kayaking down the Calcurrupe River</h3>

For the more adventurous, this 16 km route down the Calcurrupe River by kayak is one of those experiences you will never forget. The crossing consists of two sections: starting at the Lolles port on Lake Maihue, it begins with a first rapid – there are 7 or 8 in total – as it enters the river. “They are not stronger than a category one rapid, so they are rather adrenaline-pumping but not dangerous,” says Gonzalo Barros of Ranko Lauken Expeditions, who has been offering this guided kayak tour since 2017.

class=”main-text c-gray”>“The first 8 km we paddle along the river in the Calcurrupe valley, we have some beautiful snow-capped mountains on the right that remain with snow in the winter. Then we start to reach the town of Auquinco,” says Barros. It is precisely here where a stop is made to enter, 200 meters from the shore, the Terague quincho. There, a couple of Mapuche descent prepares an asado al palo with meat and vegetables from the local garden for the group.

<p class=”main-text c-gray”>After the meal, the second part of the journey continues. Now takes them along a wider stretch of the river where they can see more houses, pass under a bridge and come out at the mouth of the river. “It’s beautiful, because it’s like going out into a gigantic ocean, but it’s Lake Ranco,” says the founder of Ranco Lauken Expeditions.

Enjoy the company of a dozen different birds

As Barros says, on this tour you can enjoy the company of a dozen birds, including kingfishers, cranes, cormorants and various ducks, but also an experience that combines nature with adventure. “Once a foreigner who did the tour with us told me that he was amazed with the mix of two experiences in one.

The kayaking adventure in contact with nature, which others have defined as a relaxation therapy, because it is a float down the river with many birds. The combination with this unique experience that is to go to a super hidden local barbecue with a wood-fired barbecue served by the owners. You have two flavors, nature and traditional country food, which are well combined,” he says.

The cost of the tour is $55,000 CLP p/p and includes full equipment, guide, safety talk and lunch at the barbecue area -transfers are not included, although they can be coordinated and added to the budget-. More details on their website.

<h3 class=”main-text-bold c-gray”>4. Horseback riding to the Caulle volcano

If there is someone who knows the surroundings of Lago Ranco, it is Hugo Contreras, already famous for the horseback riding tours he has been offering in the vicinity of Lake Ranco for 30 years. “I was born in Lago Ranco and I always liked the mountains. At the age of 15 I started going to the mountains with older people and in the summer, instead of going on vacation somewhere, I would go to the mountain range”, says Hugo.

He remembers that at one point there were several adults who asked him to guide them. It was then that a friend advised him to go into tourism. “So I started to get paid. I didn’t charge much, but I was paid and that’s when I went into tourism. I have a lot of clients and several foreigners”, he tells us, and for the same reason he recommends that if you want to go horseback riding, you should make a reservation at least a month in advance.

A three-day horse ride that starts in the Fundo los Venados area

One of the most recommended is the horseback ride that takes you to the summit of the Caulle volcano. It’s a three-day horse ride that starts in the Fundo los Venados area, in Riñinahue, and delves into a lush native forest (only from December to April). “It’s a trail with very beautiful scenery where there are lenga trees, and then we reach the summit where all the volcanoes can be seen, Cerro Campana, Volcán Llaima, Volcán Villarrica, and the Andes mountain range,” says Contreras.

He also tells us, the route ends in the sulfur mine area of the Caulle ridge and includes a visit to the hot springs on the second day. To undertake this route, Hugo comments: “You need to know how to ride a horse, even if not very well, the horses go side by side, and I go with 3 assistants.” And the food? “You give a list to those who are going of roughly what is eaten and we cook.” If they want to have a barbecue, for example, we do it,” he says.

The ride costs $60,000 CLP per person per day. It includes the horses, the grooms and assistants, and the guide. It also offers other horseback routes for the day and throughout the year, such as the Devil’s Footprint, a one-hour tour full of stories and typical tales of the area ($13,000 CLP p/p). There is also the route that leads to the Mañíos Valley, lasting 3 to 4 hours, which includes entry to a waterfall with viewpoints where the entire island can be seen ($25,000 CLP p/p).

lass=”main-text-bold c-gray”>5. Visit the lava fields in Futangue Park

It is a unique landscape formed from the gigantic eruption that occurred in the Caulle ridge in 1922. The Piedras Quemadas trail is self-guided, has a length of 8 km (one way only), and starts at Laguna Pichi –at 300 meters above sea level. “The first kilometers are through the Valdivian forest, and as you ascend, there are various viewpoints where you can see waterfalls, native species, or the initial parts of the lava field.”

Then all this forest landscape opens up and you find yourself in the volcanic rock fields. In the background, you can see the Caulle ridge and the crater of the Puyehue volcano, along with various remnants of eruptions,” says Matías Ruiz-Tagle, Director of Futangue Park. He assures that no technical experience is required to undertake it, but rather endurance, as the distance is long.

6. Visit Huapi Island and learn about the local culture

Located in the northern center of Lake Ranco, Huapi Island has a population of around 300 inhabitants. 90% of them are of Mapuche-Huilliche descent. Here you can learn more about the local culture by visiting places like the Witch Stone, famous for the myths told about the place. According to legend, those who manage to pass through the narrow cavity between the two blocks of basalt rock will be rewarded with a long life. Those who do not dare will face a short life or an imminent misfortune.

Another natural attraction of the island is the Weichafe Caves. With mythical craters that represent the home of the ancestral spirits of ancient Mapuche warriors. Other attraction is Mount Treng Treng, where according to Mapuche legend, when the sea serpent Kai Kai awoke from a long sleep, the waters rose and the rains fell incessantly, even leaving the nearby hills by the riverbank underwater. Then the earth serpent, Treng Treng, came to the aid of the men, confronting Kai Kai and making the ground tremble, which rose higher and higher, allowing the men to save themselves from the water.

7. Going down the Río Bueno fishing

It is the most voluminous and extensive river in the area. Its main tributaries are the Pilmaiquén and Rahue rivers. With clear and deep waters and quite a current in the upper part, the Bueno River is an excellent destination for fishing.  Whether fly fishing or by boat—and at the same time, enjoying the native forest landscape that surrounds it. Rainbow trout abound here, although some brown trout and salmon can also be caught.

The boats depart from the Puerto Lapi area, and the guide leads the route to the La Junta area. So named because of the confluence of the Ignao River with the Bueno River. At the end of the tour, you can also taste the typical Mapuche – Huilliche local cuisine.

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