Villarrica National Park

Situated on a lateral branch of the Andes mountain range, this park is characterized by its volcanoes, forests, caves, rivers and lagoons. Dominating the landscape, the Villarrica volcano is its major attraction. At an altitude of 2,847 m (9,338 ft) above sea level, and with the reputation of being the most active volcano in South America, this volcano is the center of tourist activity in the area. The volcano boasts a ski center and volcanic caves worth exploring. You can also climb up to the crater of the volcano to admire not only the boiling lava in the interior but also the view from above of the surrounding lakes, lagoons, and other nearby volcanoes. The park has an area of 63 thousand hectares (138,600 acres), with extensive forests of araucarias and lenga in the higher parts, and raul�, long-leafed ma��o and coig�e in the lower parts. These forest zones are home to a variety of fauna, perhaps the most interesting being the pumas, grey and red foxes, pud�es, coipos, peucos, quiques, chingues and mountain monkeys, one of the three species of marsupials which exist in Chile.