In the Río Allipén valley, precariously sited on an ancient mudflow 92 kilometers east of Temuco [1] via Cunco [2] and 45 kilometers west of Icalma, the Mapuche town of Melipeuco is Parque Nacional Conguillío [3]’s southern access point and an alternative route into the upper Biobío loop around Lonquimay [4]. In the 1970s, this was a conflictive area in the agrarian reform movement, and the issue is still alive today.
Melipeuco (population 2,333) operates a summer-only tourist office on Pedro Aguirre Cerda, across from the YPF gas station. There’s a crafts market here as well.
Melipeuco’s cheapest accommodations are at cozy Hospedaje Icalma (Pedro Aguirre Cerda 729, tel. 045/581108, US$7–10 pp), which also arranges Conguillío excursions. Hostería Huetelén (Pedro Aguirre Cerda 1, tel. 045/581005, US$37 s or d with private bath and breakfast) is a more formal option, but its restaurant is mediocre; for food, try Ruminot (Pedro Aguirre Cerda 496, tel. 045/581087).
Nar-Bus has around seven buses daily to and from Temuco [1]’s Terminal de Buses Rurales (US$2, 1.5 hours). There is no scheduled public transport to Conguillío, but taxis or pickup trucks will take passengers to the visitor center for about US$12–15.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/chile/sur-chico/temuco
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/chile/sur-chico/-upper-cautin-and-biobio/cunco
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/chile/sur-chico/parque-nacional-conguillio
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/chile/sur-chico/-upper-cautin-and-biobio/lonquimay