Puyehue-Cordón Caulle

Puyehue-Cordón Caulle is a volcanic complex in southern Chile’s Andes in the Los Ríos Region. It combines volcanic cones and a long fissure system and is notable for recent explosive eruptions and active geothermal fields.

The area attracts visitors for volcanic landscapes, hiking in adjacent national park terrain, and nearby thermal spas. Geothermal activity and lava fields are visible in places accessible by marked trails and roads.

The complex produced a major eruptive event in June 2011 that generated ash plumes and widespread ashfall; the eruption remained a focus of monitoring and scientific study afterward. Other historical eruptions have been recorded in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The volcanic complex lies in the Andes of southern Chile within the Los Ríos Region, set among lakes, forests, and mountain terrain. Access is typically via regional roads serving the Puyehue and Osorno areas.

• 2011 eruption: The 2011 eruption produced a large ash plume that disrupted air travel across southern South America and deposited ash over wide areas; ashfall affected nearby towns and agriculture.

What to See #

• Puyehue: Puyehue volcano is one of the principal volcanic cones in the complex and forms part of the area of high-relief terrain visited for hiking and thermal features.
• Cordón Caulle: Cordón Caulle is a volcanic fissure and lava field known for its geothermal fields and for producing high-energy fissure eruptions, including the 2011 event.