Pucón Tourism Opens a Door
As early as 1939, the Chilean government built a hotel in Pucón and granted it a casino license, but for lack of resources, it did not pave the road. Until the 1990s, the trip from Pucón to Temuco was largely on gravel roads and took approximately three hours by bus. When the casino license lapsed in the 1960s, Pucón languished. A luxurious hotel on the outskirts of Pucón, the Antumalal, attracted international guests, but they did little to promote the town.
In 1990s, however, Pucón was again transformed. The road to Temuco was paved and Pucón regained its casino license. Soon Chilean vacationers enjoyed the town's beaches by day and the casino's attractions by night. A ski resort built on the volcano brought tourists in the winter. Pucón's renaissance had a big impact on Caburgua as well.
Image Descriptions (Left to Right)
The opening of the Lago Resort and Casino Pucón had a major impact on the town's development. Hotels, apartments, shops, and restaurants flourished.
The slot machines in Casino Pucón are like those in casinos around the world. This attracts a national and international clientele. Unfortunately the Casino burned in 2007. It was quickly rebuilt and enlarged, however.
- The Caburgua Visual Archive: Overview
- Rural Chile's Struggle with Isolation
- Geographical and Political Distances
- Pucón Tourism Opens a Door
- Unforeseen Ways of Change
- Remembering the Past
- First Impressions
- The Spanish Conquest and Mapuche Rebellion
- New Immigrants
- Unique Forests and Flowers
- Adjusting to Nature's Laws
- Welcome to Caburgua
- Mate and History
- Politics: A Sport Becomes Dangerous
- Rural Unemployment
- Animals and Fruit
- Problems of Education
- Agriculture
- Fiestas
- Rites and other Celebration
- The Beginnings of Change
- Transformation