To visit this historic city and its coal mining past is to learn about a special chapter in the history of Chile's mines.

Towering forests and crystal-clear lakes serve as the backdrop for Chile's cultural hinterland, home to the country's largest indigenous group - the Mapuche - and a thriving renaissance of traditional arts and crafts.

During April and May, as the summer crowds depart and the temperature begins to drop, the forests of  Pucón undergo a spectacular transformation.

All 6,832 hectares of the Nahuelbuta National Park will stay open to the public. So far this year, over 3,000 tourists have visited the park.

Perched high in the Andes on the border with Argentina, a tiny town full of stories and its not-so-tiny-lagoon harbor a little known paradise.

"Chile is like an island, bound on its western and southern frontiers by ocean, desert to the north and the Andes to the east."

Nestled among the folds of the cordillera, 688 km south of Santiago in the Region of Araucanía, the tiny town of Manzanar is secret getaway that is both a cool summer retreat and ski haven during winter.

Situated in the foothills of the Andes, east of the city of Temuco, Conguillío National Park is the most eloquent expression of the Araucanía Region's natural beauty.

Delving into the personalities, stories and birthplaces of Chile's rich musical tradition - a mix of ancient Mapuche and Andean cultures, rural folk, britpop, rockabilly and Latin rock - offers a unique insight into the national culture.