DESTINATIONS
GEOPARK DESTINATIONS
The Pillanmapu Geopark encompasses some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the Maule Andes, and each of its destinations offers a unique way to experience the mountain range. From the evergreen forests and classic trails of Vilches and the Altos de Lircay National Reserve, to the volcanoes, lava plateaus, and high-altitude lakes of the Pehuenche Pass, this territory invites you to explore, learn, and marvel. Discover the geopark's main destinations below and start planning your next adventure.
The Pillanmapu Geopark is organized into three large sectors:
1. Vilches and Altos de Lircay National Reserve: A journey that ascends from native forests to unique volcanic plateaus, where the Enladrillado, the Laguna El Alto and the “Climate and Crisis” room reveal the living history of the Andes of the Maule region.
2. Lower Pehuenche Pass: A stretch where mountain forests mingle with rivers, hot springs and natural viewpoints, revealing the transition between the valley and the first Andean heights through places like the Tricahue Park and the Termas del Medano hot springs.
3. Pehuenche Alto Pass: An ascent to the most untamed mountain range, where high altitude scrublands, volcanic rocks and extreme landscapes frame emblematic geosites such as the Inverted Waterfall, La Cárcel, the Valley of the Condors and the imposing Laguna del Maule.
Vilches and RN Altos de Lircay
The Altos de Lircay National Reserve It is one of the most emblematic destinations in the Maule mountain range, a place where nature and geology converge in an exceptional way. Here you will find landmarks such as The Enladrillado wave Laguna El Alto. The reserve is also home to one of the northernmost lenga forests in Chile, making it a true biogeographical refuge. Near its entrance, you can discover the Exhibition Hall “Pillanmapu: Climate and Crisis”, a room that unites science, technology and heritage.
Pehuenche Low Pass
He Pehuenche Low Pass It extends from the town of Colorado until the Médano Hot Springs. The Andes begin to rise, and the landscape continues to be dominated by forests. Along this stretch, it is possible to visit the Tricahue Natural Park in the town of Armerillo, or enjoy the thermal pools and steam rooms of Sand dune.
It is a more temperate and green sector within the pass, ideal for walking, wildlife observation and first approaches to the Andean character of the territory.
Pehuenche High Pass
He Pehuenche High Pass It marks the entrance to the mountain range in its rawest form: a landscape dominated by Andean scrublands, high-altitude grasslands, and extensive areas without vegetation, where wind, altitude, and extreme climate shape every landform. In this section emerge some of the Geopark's most emblematic geosites, such as the Reverse Waterfall, which defies gravity; La Cárcel (The Jail), with its imposing basalt columns; the Valley of the Condors, one of the most important climbing sanctuaries in Chile; and the majestic Maule Lake, The heart of an active volcanic system and one of the most monitored places in the world. Here, the landscape becomes monumental, silent, and breathtaking: the Maule Andes at their finest.