TREKKING

HIKING IN HUERQUEHUE NATIONAL PARK

Huerquehue National Park, a mountainous 12,500-hectare (30,900-acre) natural reserve, is located a short drive from Hotel Antumalal. The park offers a wide variety of hikes that traverse dense beech forests containing native vegetation such as coigües, lingues, and araucarias. Araucarias are unique old-growth trees that live for more than a thousand years. The araucaria is known as the Tree of the Mapuches because its Pehuén seed has sustained the Mapuche people for generations. The hiking paths in Huerquehue National Park lead to pleasant waterfalls and gurgling brooks or to splendid vistas ofthe Andes and Volcano Villarrica.

A trip to the park may take most of the day, so be sure to bring a lunch (available from the hotel) and plenty of water.