Anticura – Rock of the Sun, or Sunned Rock – the Mapuche called this area. The sun comes to Earth here in Sector Anticura. One of PN Puyehue's most potent volcanoes, Puyehue (2236 meters / 7267 feet), is here. But the most fascinating feature is the Cordón del Caulle volcanic chain that radiates out from Volcán Puyehue. It is a geological fault along which hot spots ooze lava. The Caulle is the most active volcanic feature of the park with six eruptions since 1883. Several days after the 1960 earthquake that struck Valdivia, 21 spots lit up simultaneously, their ash arrived all the way to Buenos Aires. Along the Cordón del Caulle are sulfur (azufrera) and hot springs, and geysers. All is not torrid lands in Anticura, though. The Pampa de Frutillas is a broad plain of wild strawberries and on the Argentine border glimmers Lago Costancia, a lake surrounded by mountains. The ranger station at Sector Anticura has an excellent interpretive center.

A series of trails enable you to explore the volcanoes, plains and lakes of Sector Anticura:
Salto del Indio (Distance: 950 meters / half mile, Duration: 30 minutes) and Salto de la Princesa (Distance: 950 meters / half mile, Duration: 40 minutes) on the Río Gol Gol, and Salto de Agua on Río Anticura (Distance: 1.2 kilometers / 0.75 mile)
Mirador El Puma (Distance: 1.4 kilometers / 0.85 mile) – From the ranger station, cross the hanging bridge over Río Anticura, zigzag up to a mirador with views of Gol-Gol valley, Volcán Puyehue and the Andean plains
Pampa Frutilla (Distance: 20 kilometers / 12 miles, Duration: 2-3 days) – Along Ruta 215, three kilometers (1.8 miles) past the ranger station towards Aduana Pajaritos is the trailhead. Leads to a high plain covered with wild strawberries. From here can continue to Pantojo or Volcán Casablanca.
Other trails include Repucura (Distance: 1.1 kilometers / 0.7 miles, Duration: 1 hour), Los Derrumbes (Distance: 580 meters / 0.35 mile, Duration: 45 minutes), Mirador el Puma (Distance: 1.4 kilometers / 0.85 mile) and Pampa del Pudú (Distance: 3.5 kilometers / 2.1 miles). A leg of the Sendero de Chile also begins here, going through Pampa de Frutillas and on to Sector Antillanca (Distance: 50 kilometers / 30 miles, Difficulty: medium to high). For more information, see The Sendero de Chile in Parque Nacional Puyehue or visit www.senderodechile.cl.

The community that lives within Sector Anticura operates Restaurant El Caulle. Services include restaurant, camping, cabañas ($64 double) and an albergue ($9 per person). It also offers horseback riding, guided hikes to El Caulle, geysers, Volcán Puyehue and fly fishing (Ruta 215, Km 90, E-mail: contacto@elcaulle.com, UR L: www.elcaulle.com; in Osorno: Los Carrera 1145, oficina 15-19, Tel.: 064-23-3233) .On Volcán Puyehue is a privately run refuge ($14). Also at Anticura is Hostería y Camping Catrue (eight sites, table, fire pit, water, wood).