Chile's most active volcano, Villarrica is a cauldron of bubbling lava and venting steam that's erupted dozens of times, including a major 1971 event that expelled 30 million cubic meters of lava in a flow that spread over 14 kilometres.

Rising above the lake and town of the same name, Volcan Villarrica is climbed relatively often, with guided expeditions from nearby Pucon. In the winter, there is a ski resort on the northern slopes of the volcano.