Fodor's Expert Review Mirador de las Bandurrias

From town you can hike, mountain bike, or drive 5 km (3 miles) up a steep hill through a dense forest of cypress and oak to the Mirador de las Bandurrias, where you’ll be rewarded with a view of San Martín and the lake. The chance to visit Paraje Trompul—a Mapuche community that’s home to about 40 families—is an added bonus. After taking a snack break in the quincho (café) and perusing the weavings and wood carvings sold here, you can continue another 5 km (3 miles) to see Playa La Islita, a small, rocky island in the middle of Lácar Lake.

If you're walking, take Avenida San Martín to the lake, turn right, cross the bridge behind the waterworks plant over Puahullo Creek, and then head uphill on a path around the mountain. By car, leave town on RP48 and drive about 4 km (3 miles) to a turnoff (no sign) on your left. Take the turn and continue to Comunidad Mapuche Curruhuinca, where you pay a fee for the lookout.