Pucón
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pucón | |
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  Pucón
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Region | Araucania |
| Province | Cautín |
| Foundation | February 27, 1883 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Carlos Barra Matamala |
| Area | |
| - City | 1,429 km² (552 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 227 m (745 ft) |
| Population | |
| - City | 14,532 |
| - Density | 10.16/km² (26.3/sq mi) |
| - Urban | 8,023 |
| Time zone | CLT (UTC-4) |
| Website: municipalidadpucon.cl |
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Pucón (Mapudungun: "entrance of the cordillera") is a Chilean 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, Chile.
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.
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[edit] History
Pucón is a centennial tourist destination, created with the support of European settlers, particularly Germans, who started arriving at the end of 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. It was initially established as an Army outpost to protect the borders and contribute to the pacification of Araucanía. A fort was thus erected on the February 27, 1883 by the Chilean Army, similar to the ones in Paillin (known today as Palguín) and Maichi. The successful coexistence between natives and settlers allowed for the cattle ranch and exploitation of the forests to fructify and become the main economic activities during the initial years. The touristic development did not begin in earnest until the 1930s, with the construction of the Gran Hotel Pucón as part of a project initiated by the Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado, alongside the small preexisting hotels and residencies (La Posada, Acevedo, Playa, Gudenschwager and Suiza).
[edit] Tourism
Pucón is a major centre of adventure tourism in Chile. During the summer, tourist attractions include hiking, rafting, horse back riding, birdwatching, fishing. 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.
[edit] Natural interests
- National parks: Villarrica National Park, Huerquehue National Park and Villarrica National Reserve.
- Volcanos: the most notable are the Villarrica, Mocho or Quetrupillán and Lanín volcanos.
- Main lakes: the Villarrica, Caburgua and Tinquilco lakes.
- Main river: Trancura.
- 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.
[edit] Sister cities
[edit] External links
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