Lake Caburgua, Pucón: The Perfect Alternative to Lake Villarrica

Holidaying in Pucón is highly desirable as it is not only a place of immense beauty, but it also offers endless opportunities for getting out and about in nature. The list is endless… hiking in national parks, overnight camps at rustic hot springs, half or multi day horse-rides, lake or river kayaking, world class white water rafting, volcano crater hikes, sailing, canoeing, canyoning, ducky, parasailing, skydiving, helicopter rides, family river floats, via ferrata, husky rides, skiing, … in reality, if it isn’t available in Pucón it probably a) isn’t worth doing, or b) doesn’t actually exist!

Despite all the adventure options available, many people go to Pucón to just relax. And how better to do that than by kicking back at the river edge where you can wander a few metres and bathe in crystalline waters!?

Many people think Pucón is Lake Villarrica and Lake Villarrica is Pucón…. However, there is a hidden lake, a little further away that is well worth rising early to guarantee the best spot on the sand. Read on to find out more about Lake Caburgua!

To begin with, Caburgua has decidedly warmer waters than Lake Villarrica. The origin of this lake lies with the two small hills located to the west, which, once upon a time, spewed out lava plugging up the valley and creating this body of water. Due to thermal upwellings from the lake bed, the waters are 5 to 8 degrees higher than other lakes in the region making Caburgua the perfect choice for those a not too keen on braving fresher temperatures!

In addition, Caburgua boasts Playa Blanca, a white sand beach, not typical at all to the area. The hills to the west of the lake are filled with intrusions called "ala de mosca", a type of rock which is usually found nearer to the coast. The erosion of these layers of rock has produced these white sand beaches making Caburgua definitely stand out from the rest.

With a surface area of 5,700 hectares Caburgua is around 1/3 the size of Lake Villarrica. Houses located at the shore edges are located in privileged spots and some are only reachable by boat. Surrounded by protected forests the waters of Lake Caburgua are known for their purity due to the lack of algal contamination: this lake has been spared the eutrophication process.

23 kilometres from Pucón, the drive takes around 30 minutes without traffic. For the reasons mentioned above, Lake Caburgua is a popular place during the summer months so it is well worth leaving early in the day to guarantee a parking spot and the best place on the beach. Playa Blanca is just 500m wide so beach area is snapped up fast. Playa Negra is a much more compact black sand than the pebbly volcanic stones of the main beach in Pucón, and as it is 5km wide, there are many more spots up for grabs!

Lake Caburgua does not just offer the lake itself for a visit! The primary outflow of Lake Caburgua is the Ojos de Caburgua, located around 4 km from the lake itself on the road back towards Pucón. Connected via an underground tunnel, this series of short waterfalls that feed into an electric blue pool are found in a shady forest complete with short walking trails and picnic areas. Definitely worth a visit on the way back to town.

So, there you have it! Just another reason to get up early at Lake Lodge! With 270° panoramas over Lake Villarrica and only bird song to puncture the silence, you will want to be up at dawn to simply enjoy from your very own bedroom terrace! ! Contact us here today for Lake Lodge rates and reservations.