Pucon's Historical Background

Pucón is a centennial tourist destination, created with the support of European settlers, specially Germans, who started arriving at the end of 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. It was initially established as an Army outpost to protect the borders and contribute to the pacification of Araucanía. A fort was thus erected on the February 27, 1883 by the Chilean Army, similar to the ones in Paillin (known today as Palguín) and Maichi. The successful coexistence between natives and settlers, allowed for the cattle ranch and exploitation of the forests to fructify and become the main economic activities during the initial years. The touristic development did not begin in earnest until the 1930s, with the construction of the Gran Hotel Pucón as part of a project initiated by the Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado, alongside the small preexisting hotels and residencies (La Posada, Acevedo, Playa, Gudenschwager and Suiza).