Navidad Crater Hiking Route

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 in Malalcahuello, located in the Chilean Andean foothills. This is a medium difficulty hiking route covering a total of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles).

The hike will take us to an area located 1,765 meters (5,790 feet) above sea level, where the Navidad crater is situated. This pyroclastic cone of Lonquimay began forming on December 25, 1988, following an eruption from a fissure that lasted no less than 13 months.

As we ascend the northeastern flank of Lonquimay, we will enjoy panoramic views of the Navidad crater, a large cavity measuring 190 meters (623 feet) wide that opened to the northeast. The lava flow from this eruption extended more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and reached a thickness of 60 meters (197 feet).

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 will begin our descent and explore other areas of the volcano.

Finally, at 12:30 pm, we will conclude the trek by returning to the meeting point.