Puyehue NP: History and culture
Historical Heritage
Lake Puyehue and its adjacent territory were discovered by the first Spanish conquistadors that set foot in the south of Chile, when Francisco de Villagra reached the lakes Puyehue and Rupanco in 1553. Even though the Mapuche population in Puyehue was scarce, there was a rich cultural exchange with the Poya and Puelche Indians, who lived in the east side of the Andes. This zone was mountainous and covered in native forests.
Several excavations found in Gol-Gol river suggest that there were a number of gold-panning sites in the area. The evidence says that indians were forced to dig for Spanish conquerors. In Anticura you will find “Salto del Indio”, a waterfall which name comes from the legend of an Indian who hid from the Spanish underneath the water curtain, thus obtaining his freedom.
The first settlers arrived in the park in 1900, using little steamboats to cross lake Puyehue.
Puyehue Forest Reserve was created in In 1914 after being in private hands for years. Finally, on the 8th of April of 1941, Puyehue National Park was created by the Ministry of Lands and Colonization, with the aim of protecting this hugely attractive zone. With an original extension of 65 thousand hectares (143,000 acres), it was later increased to 106,772 hectares (234,898 acres) in 1981.
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National Parks
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