Laguna Cochor Hike through the Maichín Valley
Leave Pucón and drive toward Curarrehue with your Chilean tour guide.
Continue to the Maichín Valley. During a short stop, visit the breathtaking pedestrian bridge Pasarela Basa Grande, which spans a deep gorge.
Head farther upriver into the valley, sometimes plain and wide, sometimes narrow and steep. Along the way, enjoy a view of the Malalco waterfall, one of the highest in this area.
Reach Quiliche, the starting point for the hike, after about 2 hours of driving. The first part of the trail leads through a young forest of Ñirre, a member of the Nothofagus family. Later, the trail becomes steeper, and the vegetation turns lusher as you enter the national reserve.
In a clearing, get your first look at your goal: Torre Cochor, a volcanic plateau overgrown by dense vegetation and home to thousand-year-old araucaria trees.
After a steeper section of the trail, reach the highest point and begin walking down to Laguna Cochor. Spend about 2 hours exploring the area around the lagoon, and also visit the smaller Laguna Chica.
Have lunch, or you can even go for a swim.
Drive back toward Pucón with a few more photo stops along the way.
