Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine National Park

Lago Budi (Budi Lake)

Image:  FranciscoSaavedra.cl

  Located 83 Km. Southeast of Temuco, on the coastal edge of La Araucania region, near the Pacific OceanSurrounded by communities belonging to the ancestral Mapuche Lafkenche ethnic group, its basin of 56.2 km2, has the peculiar feature of being one of the few brackish lakes in South America. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that the prestigious British newspaper The Guardian, ranked Lake Budi as one of the 10 most amazing landscapes in Chile. 

Currently, the place appears as an alternative for tourists as local ethnic communities have organized to promote this attraction which was somewhat forgotten. 
   

The overland route to reach Budi is from the regional capital Temuco, passing through Cholchol, Nueva Imperial, Carahue and Puerto Saavedra. Puerto Saavedra, was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 1960, the largest recorded by humanity until today, 9.5 magnitude, which was intensely lived here, where the stories of survivors still can be heard. An important percentage of the local topography was affected by the strong seismic motion.

But today, Puerto Saavedra, town of almost 15,000 inhabitants has become an important tourist center of La Araucania Region, there you will find information concerning all the region and you may also learn a lot about the Mapuche culture,  whose communities reach more than a hundred in the area.


Lago Budi  (Budi Lake), South Chile.
  3 Km
. to the Southeast of  Puerto Saavedra are located Lago Budi and Isla Huapi, which is not an island as such but the strip of land separating the lake with the Pacific Ocean.  

Around the lake there are sailings, horseback ridings, hikings, mountain biking, excursions to Isla LLepo, in the middle of the lake, etc., there are cabins and typical restaurants. You can also interact and actively participate in the rituals and customs of the Mapuche people.
 
Location of Lago Budi (Budi Lake), Araucania Region HERE

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