A friend and I are flying from Santiago to Temuco and plan to stay in Pucon for three days - 10-13 Nov 2013. We want to visit the National Parks and thermal pools and would love to know more about Mapuche culture. Will we need to rent a car in Temuco to do all this? Are there any tours we could sign up with? We already have our air flights and hotel in Pucon, but would love some direction on how to organize the rest of the trip. Any advice is appreciated. Also, any recommendations on restaurants and things to do. Thanks!

There a lot of outfits in Pucon offering tours. No need to book ahead - wait and see what the weather is like when you get there - it rained the whole time I was there.....

Your lodging can arrange transport to/from the termas like Huife and Menetue. There are tours to cover everything else you might want to do. There is a place nearish Pucón called the Aldea Intercultural Trawupeyüm, which is a cultural center dedicated to the customs of the Mapuche. They have different activities, sale of crafts etc.

thursdaysd and huentetu thank you so much for your replies. Is there any particular activity or tour you recommend? We have two full days in Pucon so can go to only one termas. Is there one you recommend? So it looks like we can do fine without a car, but wonder if there is any real advantage to having a car that warrants the cost. We booked a hotel in Pucon itself at Apart Hotel del Volcan.

We spent a couple of days in Pucon and really enjoyed our time there. Climbing part way up Villarica seemed to be a popular day trip but we chose the bike ride to Ojos de Caburga a water fall outside of the town. We organised it through our Hostal. Great views of the volcano along the way. Some photos and a little more info on our blog

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...0060/tpod.html

Plenty of nice restaurants in the town, especially those offering lamb roasting on a spit in their windows. They all seemed a bit empty though when we were there in October.

If you go to one termas, choose either Huife or Menetue as they have the best infrastructure and places to eat. You usually have to take your own towel but there are lockers to keep your things. They are both about half an hour outside Pucón. The road to Huife is lovely.

A lot of people sign up to climb the Villarica volcano, but be warned it is a very strenuous climb. You have to be fit to enjoy it. It depends how much you like to pack into a day, but I would use one for the termas and a nice dinner later, and one for Trawupeyüm. Another alternative is either Huerquehue national park or, a bit further away, Conguillio. The latter is very beautiful, one side is fairly bare and covered in lava rock and the other with the big trees (The Curacautín side). I know you can get a tour or taxi to Huerquehue, not so sure about Conguillio. Huerquehue is a fairly steep climb most of the way. It took us about 7 hours there and back.
http://conguilliochile.cl

Crellston, I had read your blog regarding your Pucon visit, but hadn't seen your pictures. Lovely. The bike ride sounds strenuous!
Huentetu, My friend and I won't be climbing Villrica volcan. I'm saving my strenuous effort for when my friend leaves and my husband and son join me in Patagonia (albeit on the Argentina side). Thanks so much for recommendation re termas and the national parks. I had read that the road to termas geometricas was difficult. I would much prefer a "lovely" road.
Muchas gracias.

I stayed in Pucon for a few days in November 2011. Whilst most of the group went up Villarica, four of us caught the local bus to Huerquehue national park and spent a day walking there. It can be as energetic or relaxed as you like, and although a bit of a climb, nothing like climbing the volcano. The woods and lakes were stunning, and the journey itself through the countryside fascinating.