Ruta CH-265 – Parque Nacional Conguillio Circuit

The CH-265 winds through Parque Nacional Conguillio’s volcanic landscape, where 2,000-year-old Araucaria trees tower above roads carved from Volcán Llaima’s ash deposits. The circuit skirts Laguna Conguillio’s turquoise waters while steam occasionally rises from Llaima’s crater – this volcano last erupted in 2009, covering these same roads in fresh tephra. Sierra Nevada’s jagged peaks frame ancient lava flows where Mapuche warriors once hunted, and the monkey puzzle trees have witnessed more volcanic eruptions than any forest on Earth.

Easy to moderate difficulty suits most high-clearance vehicles, though volcanic ash turns slippery when wet and washouts are common during spring snowmelt. The park requires entry permits and camping reservations, especially December through March when Chilean families flock here. Best visited November through April when snow clears from higher elevations and Araucaria seeds ripen. What you’re experiencing is living geology – active volcanism shaping one of the world’s oldest forests, where every switchback offers views of peaks that could blow their tops tomorrow.