Villarrica

The lake’s low altitude, between 200 and 500 m, yields warm summer days ideal for water sports and sunbathing, while the surrounding rivers—Toltén, Voipir, Trancura, Llancahue and Lincura—draw anglers and rafters. Nearby waterfalls such as León, La China, Palguín and Ojos del Caburga punctuate the landscape, and the region’s volcanic activity feeds a series of hot springs whose waters range from 48 °C at Coñaripe to 87 °C at Liquiñe. Villarrica National Park, 36 km to the east, preserves the volcano’s natural scenery, and the town’s architecture reflects the local tradition of using wood as the principal building material.

Tourism, grain, dairy farming and forestry drive the economy, with the ski centre on the volcano’s southeastern flank attracting winter sports enthusiasts. The town’s origins trace back to 1552 when Jerónimo de Alderete founded Santa María Magdalena de la Villa Rica as a gold and silver mining hub; lahars later forced a relocation to the present site. After destruction in the early 1600s and a refoundation in the 1880s, European immigrants, especially Swiss, German and Austrian families, settled the area, shaping its cultural fabric. The enduring presence of the volcano, lake and wooden streets makes Villarrica a place where natural power and human adaptation meet.