After some great days in Pucón, Chile, we continued our journey south through the beautiful Patagonian landscape of Villarica, across the top of Lago Calafquen, and to Coñaripe. From there, we headed out a amazing unpaved road to some great hot springs called the Termas Geometricas. Since it was Christmas Day, there weren't too many people at the hot springs. We went to Pucón and northern Patagonia at the perfect time (for some reason the locals do not want to travel until after the holidays, but once you get into January and February - summer break for the Chileans - everything is crowded beyond belief). So we enjoyed this great location, being mostly by ourselves...there is tons of space, like 20 separate pools to enjoy, cold waterfalls falling off the cliffs in the narrow canyon, and everything is covered in moss and very green. There are some really cool looking plants with giant leaves growing right in the middle of the creek. On the day we went, everything was covered in mist and the weather was overcast...it made for a perfect day, with a slight chill in the air, so you just wanted to soak in the hot pools.
Ryder with Eliza soaking in one of the hot pools at the Termas Geometricas.
Hiking up the wooden path in the narrow canyon where the hot water meets the cool stream water in the creek at the Termas Geometricas.
The boys walking down the misty path towards one of the many hot pools at the Termas Geometricas.
Cody, with the kids in a hot pool at the Termas Geometricas near Huilo Huilo, Chile.
Nash and Zander playing around in the rain in one of the pools at the Termas Geometricas.
Eliza and the kids after a good lunch and some hours soaking in the hot pools at the Termas Geometricas in northern Patagonia.
Sawyer and Savannah, looking up the narrow canyon at the Termas Geometricas.
One of the many pools at the Termas Geometricas.
Giant leafy plants growing right out of the stream at the Termas Geometricas.
After we finished soaking in the hot springs at the Termas Geometricas, we we made our way back to Coñaripe, westward across the bottom of Lago Calafquen, and then south along the scenic eastern shoreline of Lago Panguipulli. We then headed east past Lago Neltume to the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve just south of the town of Neltume. The drive from Villarica down to Neltume was spectacular. Although it was raining pretty hard, we still had fantastic views of some stunning lakes. We weaved through mountains and valleys, everything was so lush and green. We would have loved to see this on a clear, sunny day...perhaps there will be another time. The route we traveled was well labeled with "Ruta de los Siete Lagos" signs (translated Route of the Seven Lakes), so it was pretty easy to follow.
We had rented a private log cabin in the Patagonian rainforest for the next 2 nights and it was just cool enough to have a fire (even though we were just starting summer in the southern hemisphere), so it felt a bit more like Christmas for us than it normally does in the heat of the summer. We would spend the next couple days exploring the grounds of the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, going on many short hikes and treetop walks to waterfalls and through the rainforest. We were also able to explore the unique hotels and lodges that they had constructed on site...the Montaña Magica Lodge, the Nothofagus Hotel, and the Reino Fungi Lodge.
Eliza playing games with the older kids in our log cabin in Huilo Huilo, Chile on Christmas night.
Montaña Magica Lodge, a few hundred meters up the road from our log cabin in Huilo Huilo.
The kids outside the Nothofagus Hotel at the Huilo Huilo biological reserve in Northern Patagonia, Chile.
Kids were excited to stay in our log cabin in Huilo Huilo, Chile.
Sawyer and Savannah's side of our Christmas night log cabin.
Stairway to the upper portion of our log cabin.
There is a tree (mostly dead now) growing up inside the atrium of the Nothofagus Hotel...the rooms all surround the atrium and there is a spiral walkway that goes up gradually inside the hotel to each of the rooms.
Kids posing at the top of our log cabin in Huilo Huilo, Chile.
View of the top of the forest from the roof of the Nothofagus Hotel in Huilo Huilo, Chile.
Eliza, Savannah, and Ryder walking down the spiral walkway inside the Nothofagus Hotel in Huilo Huilo, Chile.
Reino Fungi Lodge at the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve.
Eliza and Ryder on one of the many treetop walks that are build through the forest in Huilo Huilo, Chile.
Walking through the forest on wooden bridges in Huilo Huilo, Chile.
We hiked to Puma Falls from our cabin...beautiful.
Ryder and Sawyer on one of our hikes around Huilo Huilo.
Nash, hiking through the rainforest in Huilo Huilo, Chile.
The kids outside the Montaña Magica Lodge in Huilo Huilo, Chile.
Montaña Magica Lodge at the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve near Neltume, Chile.
Sawyer and Savannah, hanging out in one of the sitting areas inside the Montaña Magica Lodge.
Montaña Magica Lodge.
Kids, walking along one of the many treetop paths through the Patagonian forests in Huilo Huilo.
Puma Falls.
Zander, on one of our many hikes in the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve...sweet Zander kept picking beautiful flowers and giving them to mommy.
After two nights at the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, we set off towards Argentina. Only 500m up the hill from the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, along an unpaved road we arrived to the shores of Lago Pirihueico and the small port town of Puerto Fuy. We were able to purchase tickets for the ferry (for ourselves and our vehicle) and we drove aboard the ship first thing in the morning. The glassy waters and views as the sun reflected off the landscape were breathtaking. The boat carved slowly across the scenic lake for about 90 minutes while we took in the scenery (mostly in silence), and then we drove off the boat at the other end of the long narrow lake at Puerto Pirihueico. From there we continued to a small border crossing between Chile and Argentina called the Hua Hum pass. This is one of the lowest elevation passes of the southern Andes (only 659 meters above sea level). We made it through immigration into Argentina without any major issues and we headed into the Neuquen province of Argentina towards the town of San Martín de los Andes.
Looking back from the boat towards the small town of Puerto Fuy.
Glassy waters and clear blue skies as we begin crossing Lago Pirihueico by ferry.
Looking lengthwise across Lago Pirihueico as the sun hits the water.
Lago Pirihueico had spectacular scenery as the forest came right down into the water.
Our mud-splattered Ford Explorer on the ferry while crossing Lago Pirihueico towards the Argentina border.
Video of ferry ride across Lago Pirihueico from Chile towards the Argentina border.
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