Temuco

Temuco - Photos: Jorge González

he city of Temuco is located in the IX Region in Chile, popularly known as La Araucanía and it was the last bastion of the Mapuche people before the arrival of white men.

“Temuco” means "temu water" in the Mapuche tongue; the temu is a kind of tree that may be observed in this entire region along with the monkey-puzzle tree, another ancient species whose original name –araucaria- was the inspiration to name this zone.


Among the local tourist attractions, visitors cannot miss museums such as Pablo Neruda Railway Museum and the Monkey-Puzzle Regional Museum. But in order to learn about the history of the city and its daily routines, travelers just need to get into the Municipal Market, a must-visit. Its national parks, its volcano and its hills are also ideal locations for outdoor recreational activities.

History and nature, the City of Temuco has more to offer than many people believe. It only needs to be discovered.