This is a short entry that only covers a few days. We chose to split these days off from the following because the next entry will cover a gravel ‘shortcut’ that had a long list of misadventures. The days in *this* entry were pleasant and uneventful in comparison! In any case, we have reached the part of Chile that has very few North/South routes besides the major highway, route 5. We jog west/east to get around Villarrica and Collico Lakes, and then are well-positioned to ride through a national park to get farther north.

Day 93: Pucón to Villarrica (33 km / 21 mi)

Pucón is a very busy tourist town that was particularly full of Chileans celebrating the long Easter weekend with their families. Our departure was scheduled to be on Sunday, which promised extra traffic from families driving home from their long weekend. The route between Pucón and the next town is narrow, crowded, and I actually remember hating it when we came through eleven years ago. Determined to not repeat the experience, this time we found an alternative.

The alternative route was only paved a couple years ago and meanders through small communities in the foothills above the lake. It was blessedly quiet and lovely for us, even if we paid for that quiet in elevation gained. The road rose steeply away from Pucón past many luxury condominium developments until we turned off onto a very quiet sideroad. Every car we saw on the side road was full of people with their families (it was Easter Sunday after all) and they were all delighted to see us.

The road had steep up and downs, so despite the quiet road conditions we started to feel a little downtrodden and tired. Like magic, a grocery store appeared at the top of a particularly big hill. It wasn’t a typical grocery store though – it was a local co-op full of fresh vegetables, sourdough bread, lattes, and American-style oatmeal cookies and brownies. In short, it was just about fabulous.

We ate our packed lunch at the picnic tables outside (while I sipped a fresh espresso drink), then went in to load up on treats and bread. We rarely get to enjoy sourdough bread, and basically never get brownies and cookies. This was a true treat.

After that too-good-to-be-true store we started downhill. We honestly didn’t pedal for about three kilometers! It was not exactly awe-inspiring scenery but it was a lovely, quiet slice of country life.

As we entered Villarrica it started to rain. Of course, despite the 10% chance forecast, after all the Philtron family was riding. We were happy to have a nice separated bicycle path that lead us toward the center, and then many separated bicycle paths to navigate. It was actually quite remarkable to have so much bicycle infrastructure. We enjoyed it!

I had reserved us a house for the night on Booking right near downtown. For the first time, the host just told us where a spare key was hidden and then asked us to leave cash under the tablecloth when we left. It was a lot for the homeowner to entrust in complete strangers, but we were happy for the peaceful quiet night.

Day 94: Villarrica to Los Laureles (40 km / 25 mi)

Despite the shorter mileage day today we had our work cut out for us because 15 of those kilometers were on steep dirt climbs. At least it was good weather and nearly traffic free! The trees are changing colors here, and even in rough conditions it’s pretty magical to ride through the South American fall.

The first half of the day had us passing the lakeside and looking back one last time towards Volcan Villarrica. Almost immediately we turned away from the main road that leads back towards highway 5. The traffic all vanished and it was just us climbing through the countryside. For lunch we stopped at the next major road intersection. There wasn’t really a town there, but there were two minimarkets, an elementary school with kids playing soccer, and a tiny stand selling hot dogs.

We rolled up and asked for four hot dogs. The owner was happy to have us but had to leave to buy the bread for the hot dogs! He asked us to watch the stand for him while he walked back to the nearby minimarkets. We were of course happy to, and the hot dogs were yummy when they were eventually ready. We continue to enjoy the Chilean ‘completo’ which is a hot dog with tomato and avocado, usually for around $3 USD.

Immediately after lunch it was dirt road time. Challenging but pretty.

When we descended into the next river valley (and onto pavement) we were in logging country. The traffic was light, but included logging trucks carrying trees to the nearby mill. The town we reached, Los Laureles, is sustained by the tree farms and milling industries. It was a small but tidy little town built around a central square. We rented a simple cabin behind the town’s ice cream shop. It seemed like it was brand new.

Enjoy the pics below showing how chaotic our stuff can be sometimes when we reach the end of the riding day

Day 95: Los Laureles to Melipeuco (55 km / 34 mi)

The day dawned overcast and surprisingly cold. We pedaled away from Los Laureles onto a lovely smooth road heading towards the Andes. All day long it gradually climbed, so gradually that we hardly noticed.

We were climbing up a wide and fertile river valley, so every ten kilometers or so we passed through another tiny settlement. In the biggest one, Cunco, we stopped in a coffee shop to try different types and sweets and warm up with a latte. It was cold enough that we all really needed a break inside.

We only stopped twice this day: once for coffee and once for potato chips in a tiny settlement with a nice plaza. We were making excellent time, and were also just too cold to stop for long. Perhaps we should have eaten lunch, since I got very hungry when we finally arrived, but we made it all the same. I was crabby but it was nothing a sandwich with barbecue sauce couldn’t cure.

Our destination, Melipeuco, is the last tourist output before Conguillio National Park. It has everything you could need, mostly along the one main street through town. I remember this town feeling dusty and sparse when we came through eleven years ago, but my impression this time was different. I like it. It has a perfect grid for a layout, and everyone is a few blocks flat walk from a grocery store. The plaza is lovely, the neighborhoods have sidewalks and interesting houses. It was a nice place to spend a day resting.

Day 96: Resting in Melipeuco

We really took this rest day seriously and did almost nothing but play video games, update journals, and prepare for the next stretch of road. The only road north from Melipeuco goes through the national park and climbs nearly 3,000′, mostly on a gravel road with no services. There are several opportunities to camp or stay in cabins in the park, and we had to make decisions about where to stay and how far we expected to ride each day. In the end we decided to take two ‘short’ days, thinking we’d have lots of time to enjoy camp and admire the scenery.

Our decision was correct, but the days were not short! As you will read in the next update, we encountered the most challenging road conditions of the entire trip. Of course, the challenges were overcome and the scenery was spectacular. You’ll have to wait for the next update to see though!