2025/26 - #13 - Walk around Lima’s Miraflores district.

 At the beginning of April, I flew home to Montreal from Lima, Peru.

Depending on the exact route you take, which includes a shuttle ride to the Temuco airport, the distance between Pucon and Lima is approximately 3150 kms. 

 Wikipedia - Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru.  It is considered the political, cultural, financial and commercial center of Peru.

In October 2013, Lima was chosen to host the 2019 Pan America Games - these were held at venues in and around Lima and were the largest sporting event ever hosted by the country.  The city will host the games for a second time in 2027. 

The Historic Center of Lima was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. 

Photos by Jaro Franta

2025/26 - #12 Good day for pictures of Villarrica Volcano

 

Good day for shooting the volcano - with fresh snow!

The name Pucón means, in Mapudungun, "Entrance to the Andes".

Wikipedia - The upper part of Villarrica is permanently covered by snow.  The largest glacier here is the Pichillancahue-Turbio Glacier.  

Ash from the eruptions can increase the ablation of snow and ice by absorption of solar radiation.  Some ash coverings are thicker than 5 cms and insulate the glacier, decreasing ablation instead of enhancing it.  

During its early years, the city of Valdivia was an important gold and silver mining center.  However, mining activity declined over time, and now mainly tourism, grain and dairy farming, and forestry are the main economic activities of the town.

Photos by Jaro Franta

2025/26 - #11 Visit to Valdivia with my guests...

Our visit to Valdivia, with my sister and her partner.  Valdivia is about 155 kms from Pucon and takes about two hours to drive.  

2015/16 - I spent the winter at Valdivia, as many of you know from reading the blogs.  

Wikipedia:   In 1960, Valdivia was severely damaged by the Great Chilean earthquake, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, at magnitude 9.5.  The earthquake caused c. 2 meters of subsidence around Valdivia, leaving large areas of former pastures and cultivated fields permanently flooded.

"Valdivian Week" as it has been known since 1917, is a long-held tradition that dates back to the foundation of the city.  Starting February 9th each year, it commemorates the city's anniversary, and also gives Valdivia the chance to promote itself as a tourism center. 

"Semana Valdiviana" features a parade of ships – a tradition that began in the seventeenth century as a protest against the Spaniard authorities.  This includes a big artisan market, fairground rides, and the election of the Queen of Los Rios. The  week ends with fireworks and theatre performances on the closing night, known as Valdivian Night. 

Photos by Jaro Franta 

2025/26 - #10 Pucón, early February Cont'd....

 

These things are very popular here and come in several sizes, up to about six people. They are allowed on the streets all over Pucón.  

Pedal power only.  They do have little electric toy cars and trucks for the kiddies to use in the park.

The biggest hotel here in Pucón, placed strategically between the central park, with a view of Volcan Villarica from the rooms on this side, and the beach and Lago Villarica on the far side.

There is one of those little cranked organs.

These tourist road trains are also allowed on the streets all over Pucón.  They have colorful light decorations when on the move at night.

A peak inside one of the many local shop malls.

Photos by Jaro Franta

2025/26 - #9 Pucón, early February

Nearly all the snow is gone from Volcan Villarica, but it remains a popular target for tourist photos. 

Sunset over Lago Villarica brings out many people in the evenings, and of course the restaurants are packed.

Wikipedia - Villarica is one of a small number worldwide known to have an active lava lake within its crater.  The volcano usually generates strombolian eruptions of incandescent pyroclasts and lava flows. 

Rainfall, plus melted snow and glacier ice, can cause massive lahars (mud and debris flows), such as during the eruptions of 1964 and 1971.

Villarica is popular for climbing with guided hikes to the crater from the town of Pucón, but these may be suspended due to cloud or volcanic activity.  Helicopter over-flights have been available since 2007.

Cont'd next blog...

Photos by Jaro Franta

2025/26 - #8 Pucón in late December

 

Late December - I notice quite an increase in vacationers arriving in Pucon this week. The nearby marina is really filling up with boats as well.  Pretty much all Chilenos, but I did overhear tourists speaking French and English occasionally.

We had a few rainy days this past week, but it is back to sunny weather again.

Temperatures are ideal for walks around town and along the beaches.

I am keeping one heater “On” in the Airbnb for now.

Very few people on the beach, although the locals are setting up all sorts of amenities for Chilean vacationers.

Jan 1^st -  City crews are out in full force today, cleaning up and collecting garbage. It is looking pretty good already.  Except for all the little sparkly bits, especially on the big beach - that stuff is covering the black sand.  I do not think they can clean that up - it just has to blow away over the months.  Most shops and restaurants are closed today, but ice-cream shops and café’s are open.  Another warm sunny day, with a nice cool breeze off the lake.

Photos by Jaro Franta

2025/26 - #7 Ride on the NE side of Rio Pucon O Minetue

 

A longer, but somewhat less hilly ride today, with the gravel section on the north side of Rio Pucon O Minetue, heading east from Pucon.  This is route S-923, and it seems to be more popular than others I have done here.

First, I passed a young woman with large saddle bags on her bike.  Then several kilometers later, a large group of riders going in the opposite direction on MTBs.  Looked like an organized group, possibly a local commercial tour.  Bridge over the Rio Pucon O Minetue.

Also saw a bunch of rafters heading down the river from the bridge on the S-905, before turning onto S-923.  This is called the Trancura valley, and many of the rafting and kayaking outfitters in Pucon have Trancura signage on their store fronts.  Big business here, along with related sports clothing stores.

There was one short but very steep climb on the S-923.  It had a severe case of washboard, so I decided to get off the bike and walked it.  Farther east, the river does not have rapids, so no rafters – either on the river or on the road in vans traveling upstream.  Also more forested, with very pretty scenery (but no yellow gorse to be seen anywhere).

Return by way of route 199 is a bit boring, but you still get those amazing views of Volcan Villarica along the way.  Also, the 199 has a nice paved shoulder, so you feel a bit safer on the bike than on some other roads (I always have the rear flasher going).

A little over 60km, not quite half of it on gravel.

Photos by Jaro Franta