Name: 8 Day Lakes and Volcanoes Guided Cycling Tour in Chile
Brand: Anthem Sports Tours
Price: 3900 USD
Availability: InStock

Accommodation

Check-in Time:

12:00

Check-out Time:

12:00

The tour accommodations include currated hotels and lakeside resorts in regional tourism destinations offering elegant rooms and cuisine, and convenient lakeside cabins along the route. They offer clean, rustic-style rooms and homecooked meals in family settings, and country estates.

All accommodations include world-class hospitality which is the hallmark of the tours. You’ll stay in a different location most of the night including Hotel Huincahue Pucón, Puchaley Lafquen, Centro Campestre Mavidahue, Puyehue Wellness & Spa Resort, Lodge Las Cascadas, and Las Magnolias Lofts.

Hotel Huincahue Pucón - Day 1 and 2
Puchaley Lafquen - Day 3
Centro Campestre Mavidahue - Day 4
Puyehue Wellness & Spa Resort - Day 5
Lodge Las Cascadas - Day 6
Las Magnolias Lofts - Day 7

Program

The beauty of Northern Patagonia's scenic lakes region will not disappoint! Each day's ride will include mechanical and sag support, ride leaders with local knowledge, and on-the-road / picnic lunches and ride fuel. A variety of side excursions and once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities will complement the many challenging profiles of each day's ride.

Welcome to the cycling tour of the Lakes Region of Southern Chile and Northern Patagonia! They very much look forward to hosting you in your "home away from home" at the foot of the Andes Mountains. Enclosed are some details of the tour, what to bring, travel logistics, and some interesting facts about the Lakes Region that should enhance your stay and tour.

Tour scope

The tour is an 8-day, 7-night cycling adventure in Southern Chile and Northern Patagonia. You'll be riding an average of between 30 and 65 miles per day on rolling terrain and good roads (paved, though there may need some gravel). Each ride has shorter options.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Saturday - Pucón to Pucón

Distance: 32 miles / 52 kilometers
Elevation: 1,654 feet / 504 m

Welcome to Southern Chile and Northern Patagonia! You’ll unpack your bikes and assemble them after you arrive, then shake off the travel legs and climb to Termas de Huife (Huife Hot Springs) and the Rio (river) Liacura Valley at the base of Villarrica volcano and continue to Saltos Pocolpén (Pocolpén Falls) for your first photo opportunity! You’ll load the bikes up and travel back to Pucón for your kick-off dinner and views of the sunset on Lago Villarrica.

Hotel: Hotel Huincahue Pucón
Included meal: Dinner

Day 2: Sunday - Pucón to Pucón

Distance: 29 miles / 47 kilometers
Elevation: 1,386 feet / 422.5 m

After breakfast, you’ll ride up to Lago Caburgua and enjoy lunch on the shores of the lake, then descend back to scenic Pucón. In the afternoon, you’ll drive up to Ojos del Caburgua (Eyes of Caburgua Falls). Get some rest! Tomorrow is your first day on the road!

Hotel: Hotel Huincahue Pucón
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 3: Monday - Pucón to Panguipulli

Distance: 65 miles / 105 kilometers, or 35 miles / 56 kilometers
Elevation: 4,500 feet / 1372 m, or 2,225 feet / 678.2 m

You’ll load your gear into the vans after breakfast at the hotel and depart on the bicycle along the volcanic Villaricca Lake toward the small, lakeside city of Villarrica. From Villarrica, you climb out of the lake valley toward the resort town of Licán Ray on the shores of Lago Calafquén. Enjoy the views of the Villarrica volcano as you round the lake and ride west toward the city of Panguipulli on Lago Lafquen. Two ride length options are available.

Hotel: Puchaley Lafquen
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 4: Tuesday - Panguipulli to Llifen

Distance: 85 miles / 137 kilometers, 60 miles / 97 kilometers, 50 miles / 81 kilometers, or 28 miles / 45 kilometers
Elevation: 4,000 feet / 1219 m, 2,600 feet / 792.5 m, 2,400 feet or 1,450 feet / 442 m

Rolling countryside and farmland await as you depart from Panguipulli. You’ll follow Rio San Pedro for much of the morning before lunch on the road near Lago Ranco, in the heart of the Lake District. You’ll arrive on the west end of the lake and the small village of Llifen, then follow the Calcurrupe River, seven miles to the rustic Centro Campestre Mavidahue, owned for generations by the Vasquez family. There are four start / finish options for this long day.

Hotel: Centro Campestre Mavidahue
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 5: Wednesday - Llifen to Termas de Puyehue

Distance: 54 miles / 87 kilometers, or 35 miles / 56 kilometers
Elevation: 5,929 feet / 1807.2, or 2,200 feet / 671 m

It’s a rest day, of sorts, today as you contemplate the climb up Osorno volcano tomorrow. Two ride options are available for you as you continue your bicycle journey southward. Choose one or both rides. The short option is an absolutely beautiful ride along Lago Ranco to your lunch stop in the city of Lago Ranco. The second ride is definitely for the more adventurous among you, as you will tackle the epic climb to the Argentinian border after you check into Puyehue Wellness & Spa Resort.

Hotel: Puyehue Wellness & Spa Resort
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 6: Thursday - Lago Puyehue to Osorno Volcano

Distance: 72 miles / 116 kilometers, 46 miles / 74 kilometers, or 24 miles / 39 kilometers
Elevation: 6,688 feet / 2039 m, 5,392 feet / 1643.5 m, and 4,595 feet / 1401 m

It’s a big day for you on the bike, the ascent of Osorno Volcano awaits! There are three ride options from which to choose today. You will make your way south with the Andes mountains to your left and the waters of Lago Llancuhue to your right. Climb from the lake through the rainforest to the volcanic open landscape that is Osorno Volcano, reminiscent of Mont Ventoux in France - the fabled moonscape climb often featured in the Tour de France.

Steep, switchbacks to 20 percent grade near the top bringing you to the small ski area base lodge and the snow-capped Osorno just steps away. Enjoy the views! You will shuttle back down the lake and ride back to the hotel to enjoy local cuisine and drink as you retell your epic day among friends!

Hotel: Lodge Las Cascadas
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 7: Friday - Ensenada to Puerto Varas

Distance: 40 miles / 64 kilometers
Elevation: 2,100 feet / 640.1 m

Friday is a promenade along the blue waters of Lago Llancahue, with several opportunities along the lake for photos of Osorno volcano in the background. The 19th-century German colonization is apparent in the architecture of Puerto Varas - this small Northern Patagonia city on the lake! Enjoy the shops and restaurants, the waterfront, and the warm hospitality of Southern Chile!

Hotel: Las Magnolias Lofts
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 8: Saturday - Puerto Varas to Frutillar

Distance: 30 miles / 48 kilometers
Elevation: 2,000 feet / 610 m

Your final day of the tour includes a casual ride along the lake to the German-settled lakeside city of Frutillar. You’ll enjoy breakfast in Puerto Varas then transport just north to the city of Llancahue, the rolling countryside to Frutillar, and the wonderful scenery that includes the scenic veranda at the Teatro del Lago (Theater on the Lake).

You’ll grab lunch or a coffee in Frutillar and then head back to Puerto Varas to conclude your tour! You’ll pack up your bikes and luggage and be transported to the nearby El Tepual International Airport (PMC) for your trip home!

Hotel: Las Magnolias Lofts for post-ride showers
Included Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Travel

Arrive no later than December 3 in Temuco (ZCO)
Depart Puerto Montt (PMC) no earlier than December 10
Airport shuttles are provided on these dates

Ride logistics

You'll depart the various tour hotels each morning after meeting at breakfast to discuss the day ahead and be provided with maps and cue sheets, and after checking your bicycles and gear.

Each day's ride will include mechanical and sag support and ride leaders with local knowledge. Anthem Sports Tours will provide two minivans and drivers to support riders each day of the tour and provide on-the-road lunches and snacks, mechanical support, and rides to the destination hotels each day if necessary.

Support cars and drivers may not be immediately available to you on the rides, so you should be prepared to change a tube or do minor bicycle adjustments as needed should they not be within range. A support car will always follow the last rider. Anthem Sports Tours will provide cell phone numbers for drivers just in case.

Rules of the road

Laws for cyclists in Chile are generally the same as in the US. Please be prepared to follow all traffic signals and signs, etc, which you will find very similar to the signs in the US. You should always ride a single file in traffic and two abreast only without overtaking traffic and as far to the right as possible.

Chileans take their school zones very seriously and you will notice an abundance of road markings and signage as you approach school zones. Please be respectful and mindful of these areas in particular.

What to do before your trip:

Pre-download the Southern Chile region map on your iPhone or Android cell phone. Anthem Sports Tours can help with this using the Wi-Fi at the hotel if needed.
Stay in shape this fall. The tour is generally rolling but with some significant climbs, especially the climb up Osorno volcano.
Secure travel minutes and / or data through your cell phone provider. Anthem Sports Tours recommends not using data while not on Wi-Fi in Chile as it can be very expensive. Wi-Fi is available at virtually every restaurant and hotel.

Bike rentals:

Full carbon frame (limited availability) - 700 USD
Aluminum (Giant Contend SLR 2 or similar) - 500 USD

Included excursions

You will enjoy excursions to scenic waterfalls, hot springs, museums, lakeside walks, and volcanoes.

Instructors

Dieter Drake

Dieter Drake, Anthem Sports president, founded Beta Cycling Tours in 2016. As one the founders of North America’s most iconic road cycling events, Tour of the Battenkill, Anthem Sports has promoted both competitive and non-competitive events across the US under their Great American Cycling Series banner for the past 15 years. Epic climbs, dirt roads, amazing rural landscapes, and exciting finishes in supportive and enthusiastic small towns across America are the critical components of this series that strive to promote tourism and commerce through great cycling events.

Location

This 8-day bike tour begins with an airport transfer from La Araucanía International Airport (ZCO) to the lakeside city of Pucón and progresses south over seven days to Puerto Varas.

The route starts in Pucón and ends in Puerto Varas. Along the way, it will cover Panguipulli, Llifen, Puyehue, Puerto Octay, and Puerto Varas.

Chile

Chile is a Spanish-speaking country and you should try and learn a few basic words and phrases ahead of your trip. There are some iPhone and Android translation apps that you might find useful as well. Beta Cycling Tours' staff is at the very least able to speak basic Spanish and one staff member is completely fluent in Spanish to help get through difficult conversations. Most people in restaurants, shops, etc. speak some English.

The people of Southern Chile are very friendly and very happy to have you as guests in their country. Please (por favor) and thank you (muchas gracias) are always welcome by merchants and vendors.

Culture

You'll find that Southern Chile is very modern and particularly oriented toward tourists and tourism. The infrastructure, hotels, and restaurants are very contemporary and built around the tourism industry in general. The entire region was settled by Germans in the late 1800s and you'll find German-inspired buildings, food, roads, and place names. Shops generally line most of the city streets that you'll visit and you'll find very favorable prices on most items. Though you'll find many familiar brands and shops, you'll encounter many locally-made products and fares unique to Southern Chile.

Lake District

You might find that the Lake District compares very well to the northeast of the USA as it's similar, though southern latitudes. Small cities are on the volcanic lakes which are mostly surrounded by rolling farmland. The Andes mountains are always in view to the west with several volcanoes, obvious throughout the tour. There are numerable scenic pull-offs for photos and refueling. You'll visit volcanic lakes, thermal spas, and lakeside resort towns, and will sample everything in between on your week-long adventure on bicycles.

Road conditions

Southern Chile is a rapidly growing area with a major focus on domestic and international tourism. The roads are generally in very good condition as they do not suffer from extreme winters and pavement breakups. Many have bike lanes and shoulders for cycling. Traffic is generally low.

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Features

Activities

Cycling

Services

Tour assistance

Food

All food and drinks are included in the package.

The following meals are included:

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Drinks

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Vegetarian
Gluten Free
Organic
Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
Seafood

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

Things to do (optional)

Excursions:

A tour of a local attraction on the route
Boating
Enjoying local authentic food and beverages
Hiking

Treatments:

Spa treatments
Daily massage

What's included

Planned routes and course maps
Mechanical and van support
Tour ride leaders with local knowledge
Custom Anthem Sports Tours cycling jersey
Tour-provided shuttle from La Araucanía Airport (ZCO) during arrival day, and to El Tepual International Airport (PMC) on departure day
Scheduled tour breakfasts and dinners
All meals including breakfast and dinner and on-the-road lunches and ride fuel
7 nights accommodation at 3 and 4-star hotels, lakeside resorts, and country estates

What's not included

Airfare to and from the official tour arrival and departure airports
Air transport / shipping
Road bicycle unless noted in the tour listing
Lodging before and after the tour
Unscheduled tour meals
Side excursions and ancillary amenities unless noted in the tour itinerary
Personal items purchased during the tour
Travel / trip insurance (recommended)
Road bicycle unless noted in the tour listing

How to get there

Recommended Airports

ZCO

La Araucanía Airport

70 km

Transfer included

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flight to arrive to La Araucanía Airport (ZCO). Transfer from this airport is included in the price on arrival day. It will be a 90-minute transfer to the hotel from the airport.

On the day of the departure, transfer to El Tepual International Airport (PMC) is also included in the price.

Airport: La Araucanía Airport Airport transfer included: La Araucanía Airport No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.

Cancellation Policy

A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.

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