Climb the Lonquimay volcano to admire its spectacular Navidad crater on this hiking route from Malalcahuello. The views will leave you speechless!
Navidad Crater Hiking Route
We'll begin the activity meeting at 7:30 am at Kilometer 0 of the Lonquimay Volcano Crossing. From this point in Malalcahuello, located in the middle of the Chilean Andean foothills, we'll set off on an unforgettable hiking route of medium difficulty covering a total of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles).
The hike through these beautiful landscapes will take us to an area located 1,765 meters (5,790 feet) above sea level. At this altitude lies the Navidad crater, a pyroclastic cone of Lonquimay that began forming on December 25, 1988. The eruption, which started from a fissure in the ground, lasted no less than 13 months!
As we ascend the northeastern flank of Lonquimay, we'll take in magnificent panoramic views of the Navidad crater, a large 190-meter (623-foot) cavity open to the northeast. This is the same place where the lava flow came down, which eventually reached more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) long and 60 meters (197 feet) thick.
We'll take a break next to the crater to refuel with an energy bar, a candy, and an isotonic drink. After this snack, we'll start the descent hike and check out other areas of the volcano.
Finally, at 12:30 pm we'll conclude the trek by returning to the meeting point.
