3 Best Sights in The Lake District, Chile

Volcán Llaima, which has shown constant but not dangerous levels of activity since 2002, is the brooding centerpiece of Parque Nacional Conguillío. One of Chile's most active volcanoes, the 3,125-meter (10,200-foot) monster has created the moonscape of hardened lava flow that characterizes the park's southern portion. In the 610-square-km (235-square-mile) northern sector, there are thousands of umbrella-like araucaria pines, also known as monkey puzzle trees. The Sierra Nevada Trail is the most popular for short hikes. The three-hour trek begins at park headquarters on Laguna Conguillío and continues northeast to Laguna Captrén. Heavy snow can cut off the area in winter, so November to May is the best time to visit the park's eastern sector. Conguillío's western sector, Los Paraguas, comes into its own in winter because of a small ski center.

The main entrance to the park is in the Melipeuco sector, which is reached from Temuco via a paved road that passes through the towns of Cunco and Melipeuco before becoming a gravel road over its final section. In Melipeuco, a private company, Sendas Conguillío, administers excellent cabins and camping facilities.

Close to Puerto Montt, the mountainous 398-square-km (154-square-mile) Parque Nacional Alerce Andino, with more than 40 small lakes, was primarily established to protect the endangered alerce trees that are spread out upon some 20,000-hectares (49,421 acres) of the park. Comparable to California's redwood trees, alerce grow to average heights of 50 meters (165 feet) and can reach 5 meters (16 feet) in diameter. Immensely popular as building material for houses and furniture in southern Chile, they have been nearly wiped out from the landscape. They are also the world's second-oldest living tree species, many living up to 4,000 years.

Chile's oldest national park was established in 1926. South of Parque Nacional Puyehue, this vast 2,538-square-km (980-square-mile) preserve includes the Osorno and lesser-known Puntiagudo volcanoes, as well as the deep-blue Lago Todos los Santos. The Volcán Osorno appears in your car window soon after you drive south from Osorno and doesn't disappear until shortly before your arrival in Puerto Montt. There is a visitor center opposite the Hotel Petrohué that can provide info on several hikes, such as the Rincón del Osorno trail that hugs the lake and the Saltos de Petrohué trail, which runs parallel to the river of the same name.