Pucon · Where to stay

The handful of blocks around Avenida Bernardo O'Higgins hold most of the hostels, tour agencies, bus offices and restaurants, so you can book a volcano climb and eat without moving a car. The same streets are loud until late in January and February, when rates are at their highest.

The residential streets running east toward Playa Grande and out onto the peninsula are mostly cabañas and small hotels, quieter than the grid and still a 10–15 minute walk from it. You pay for the lake frontage and the calm.

Cabins and lodges strung along the road north toward Lago Caburgua, with volcano views, no streetlights and the hot springs and waterfalls on your side of town. Buses run this road but not late, so in practice you need a car.

Same lake, a working town rather than a resort, and beds cost noticeably less in peak season. Frequent buses cover the 25 km in about half an hour, which is the trade-off: cheaper nights, a shuttle every time you want the action.