Pucón
Encyclopedia
Pucón is a Chile
an city and commune administered by the municipality of Pucón located in the Province of Cautín
, Araucanía Region
, 100 km to the southeast of Temuco
and 780 km to the south of Santiago
.
Pucón's unrivaled location by a lake and a volcano and quite stable weather (especially in the summer) make it a popular destination for tourists. It offers a variety of sports and adventure/recreational activities for tourists, including water skiing
, snow skiing, backpacking
, white water rafting
and kayaking
, horse back riding, natural hot springs
, zip line rides, and guided ascents of Villarrica volcano
.
. The location of Pucón was found strategic because of being at the entrance to the Trancura Valley
, a place that had become of the authorities' awareness since the Argentine army had chased a group of Mapuches into it though Mamuil Malal Pass
during the Conquest of the Desert
.
The first hotel in Pucón was Gudenschwager established in 1923, but it was in 1934 with the establishment of Gran Hotel Pucón that tourism became a popular activity in the zone. In 1940 the first road between Villarrica and Pucón was built and in the 1970s the road to Caburga Lake was finished.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Pucón spans an area of 1248.5 sqkm and has 21,107 inhabitants (10,705 men and 10,402 women). Of these, 13,837 (65.6%) lived in urban area
s and 7,270 (34.4%) in rural areas. The population grew by 47% (6,751 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Edita Mansilla Barría (PPD
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Pucón is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by René Manuel García (RN
) and Fernando Meza (PRSD
) as part of the 52nd electoral district, (together with Cunco
, Curarrehue
, Villarrica
, Loncoche
, Gorbea
and Toltén
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by José Garcia Ruminot (RN
) and Eugenio Tuma Zedan (PPD) as part of the 15th senatorial constituency (Araucanía-South).
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an city and commune administered by the municipality of Pucón located in the Province of Cautín
Cautín Province
Cautín Province is one of two provinces in the southern Chilean region of Araucanía , bounded on the north by Arauco and Malleco provinces, on the east by Argentina, on the south by Valdivia Province, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its population at the 2002 census was of 667,920. The most...
, Araucanía Region
Araucanía Region
The IX Araucanía Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions and comprises two provinces: Malleco in the north and Cautín in the south....
, 100 km to the southeast of Temuco
Temuco
Temuco is a city and commune, capital of the Cautín Province and of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. The name comes from the Mapudungun language, meaning "temu water"; "temu" is a tree used by Mapuches for medicinal purposes. The city is located 670 km south of Santiago...
and 780 km to the south of Santiago
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. Santiago may also refer to:*Santiago *Santiago , a Spanish given name*Santiago!, a shortened form of the Reconquista battle cry "Santiago y cierra, España"...
.
Pucón's unrivaled location by a lake and a volcano and quite stable weather (especially in the summer) make it a popular destination for tourists. It offers a variety of sports and adventure/recreational activities for tourists, including water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
, snow skiing, backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
, white water rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
and kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
, horse back riding, natural hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
, zip line rides, and guided ascents of Villarrica volcano
Villarrica (volcano)
Villarrica is one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rising above the lake and town of the same name. The volcano is also known as Rucapillán, a Mapuche word meaning "House of the Pillán". It is the westernmost of three large stratovolcanoes that trend perpendicular to the Andean chain along the...
.
History
Pucón was established in 1883 as a fort in the aftermath of the Occupation of Araucanía when the Chilean state subdued the native population of AraucaníaAraucanía Region
The IX Araucanía Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions and comprises two provinces: Malleco in the north and Cautín in the south....
. The location of Pucón was found strategic because of being at the entrance to the Trancura Valley
Trancura River
Trancura River is a river located in the Araucanía Region of Chile. Its headwaters drain the southeasternmost portion of Villarrica National Park, including the northwestern slope of Lanín volcano...
, a place that had become of the authorities' awareness since the Argentine army had chased a group of Mapuches into it though Mamuil Malal Pass
Mamuil Malal Pass
Mamuil Malal Pass is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass connects Pucón and Curarrehue in Chile with Junín de los Andes in Argentina. The road is paved on the Argentinian side and passes just north of Lanín Volcano . During winter the pass may close...
during the Conquest of the Desert
Conquest of the Desert
The Conquest of the Desert was a military campaign directed mainly by General Julio Argentino Roca in the 1870s, which established Argentine dominance over Patagonia, which was inhabited by indigenous peoples...
.
The first hotel in Pucón was Gudenschwager established in 1923, but it was in 1934 with the establishment of Gran Hotel Pucón that tourism became a popular activity in the zone. In 1940 the first road between Villarrica and Pucón was built and in the 1970s the road to Caburga Lake was finished.
Demographics
According to the 2002 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of the National Statistics Institute
National Statistics Institute (Chile)
The National Statistics Institute of Chile is a state-run organization of the Government of Chile, created in the second half of the 19th century and tasked with performing a general census of population and housing, then collecting, producing and publishing official demographic statistics of...
, Pucón spans an area of 1248.5 sqkm and has 21,107 inhabitants (10,705 men and 10,402 women). Of these, 13,837 (65.6%) lived in urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s and 7,270 (34.4%) in rural areas. The population grew by 47% (6,751 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Tourism
Pucón is a major centre of adventure tourism in Chile. During the summer, tourist attractions include hiking, rafting, horse back riding, birdwatching, fishing and canopy. Due to its privileged natural surroundings, near a volcano and several lakes, nature reserves and thermal baths, Pucón is a destination which can rely on tourism all year round. In winter and spring, it is possible to go skiing or snowboarding on the trails of the Villarrica volcano.Natural interests
- National parks: Villarrica National ParkVillarrica National ParkVillarrica National Park is located in the Andes, in the Araucanía and Los Ríos regions of Chile, near Pucón. The centerpiece of the park is a line of three volcanoes stretching transversely to the Andean range: Villarrica, Quetrupillán, and Lanín....
, Huerquehue National ParkHuerquehue National ParkHuerquehue National Park is located in the Andes, in the Valdivian temperate rainforest of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. The park encompasses 125 square kilometres of mountainous terrain east of Caburgua Lake, and has an elevation range from 720 to 2,000 m asl.One of the most noteworthy...
and Villarrica National Reserve. - Volcanos: the most notable are the Villarrica, Mocho or QuetrupillánQuetrupillánQuetrupillán Volcano is a stratovolcano located in the Araucanía Region of Chile. It is situated between Villarrica and Lanín volcanoes, within Villarrica National Park. Geologically, Quetrupillán is located in a tectonic basement block between the main traces of Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault and...
and LanínLanínLanín is an ice-clad, cone-shaped stratovolcano on the border of Argentina and Chile. It forms part of two national parks: Lanín in Argentina and Villarrica in Chile. It is a symbol of the Argentine province of Neuquén, being part of its flag and its anthem. Although the date of its last eruption...
volcanos. - Main lakes: the Villarrica, CaburguaCaburgua LakeCaburgua Lake is located 23 km northeast of the city of Pucón, in the Araucanía Region of Chile. Huerquehue National Park lies to the east of the lake. Like Villarrica Lake, it is part of Toltén River basin...
and TinquilcoTinquilco LakeTinquilco Lake is one of several lakes in Huerquehue National Park in the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. Located at 700 meters; it is the first lake visitors encounter in the park before continuing on the "Tres Lagos" hike.-References:*...
lakes. - Main river: TrancuraTrancura RiverTrancura River is a river located in the Araucanía Region of Chile. Its headwaters drain the southeasternmost portion of Villarrica National Park, including the northwestern slope of Lanín volcano...
. - Spas in the commune of Pucón: Palguín, Rio Blanco, Huife, Quimey-Co and Los Pozones; other nearby spas include the ones located in the commune of Curarrehue: Menetúe, San Luis, Trancura, Panqui and Ancamil.
Administration
As a commune, Pucón is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal councilMunicipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
, headed by an alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Edita Mansilla Barría (PPD
Party for Democracy
The Party for Democracy is a political party in Chile; it is social democratic in its political orientation. It was founded in December 1987 by Ricardo Lagos, who aimed at forming a legal social democratic party . The party continued to function after the defeat of Pinochet...
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Pucón is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
by René Manuel García (RN
National Renewal (Chile)
National Renewal , is a liberal conservative political party belonging to the Chilean right-wing political coalition Coalition for Change in conjunction with the Independent Democratic Union and the Chile First movement...
) and Fernando Meza (PRSD
Social Democrat Radical Party
The Social Democratic Radical Party is a social democratic party in Chile.The party is a member of Socialist International....
) as part of the 52nd electoral district, (together with Cunco
Cunco, Chile
Cunco is a Chilean commune and city in Cautín Province, Araucanía Region. The town is located 60 km southeast of the city of Temuco and 77 km west of Icalma International Pass....
, Curarrehue
Curarrehue
Curarrehue is a town and commune in Cautín Province of Araucanía Region, Chile. The origin of Curarrehue dates back to the occupation of Araucanía and the Conquest of the Desert by the Chilean and Argentine army respectively in the 1870s and 1880s when Mapuches were pushed by the Argentine Army...
, Villarrica
Villarrica, Chile
Villarrica is a city and commune in southern Chile located on the western shore of Villarrica Lake in the Province of Cautín, Araucanía Region south of Santiago and close to the Villarrica Volcano ski center to the south east. Residents of Villarrica are known as Villarriquences.Tourism, grain and...
, Loncoche
Loncoche
Loncoche is a city and commune in the Araucanía Region, southern Chile. It is located near the border to Los Ríos Region and the city of Lanco.Loncoche is a major centre for milk production...
, Gorbea
Gorbea, Chile
Gorbea is a Chilean city and commune located in Cautín Province, Araucanía Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Gorbea spans an area of and has 15,222 inhabitants . Of these, 9,413 lived in urban areas and 5,809 in rural areas...
and Toltén
Toltén
Toltén is a Chilean commune located at the lower flows Toltén River at the southern coast of Cautín Province which is part of Araucanía Region...
). The commune is represented in the Senate
Senate of Chile
The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.-Composition:...
by José Garcia Ruminot (RN
National Renewal (Chile)
National Renewal , is a liberal conservative political party belonging to the Chilean right-wing political coalition Coalition for Change in conjunction with the Independent Democratic Union and the Chile First movement...
) and Eugenio Tuma Zedan (PPD) as part of the 15th senatorial constituency (Araucanía-South).