You will be picked up at your hotel and set off on a full day private tour of Argentina's lakes region close to Bariloche. This full day panoramic drive passes by enchanted valleys, curious rock formations, Lake Traful and the little namesake village, and the lakeside road that runs parallel to Nahuel Huapi Lake. The day is one of gorgeous scenery, clear rivers, forests and mountain vistas. There will be plenty of time to stop and explore a little en route.
During this circuit you will visit the city of Bariloche and its surroundings, including the nearby cities of Cerro Otto, Lopez, and Tronador. You will depart from Bariloche by Bustillo Av. until reaching the Llao Llao Hotel area.
You will encounter a scenic woodland landscape, where you can discover nice paths to walk and really feel the nature. Optional: You may choose to ride the chairlift at the Cerro Campanario stop. At 3600 feet, Cerro Campanario offers the best panoramic views of the city and its surroundings.
You will be picked up at your hotel in the morning and transferred to Puerto Pañuelo in time to board a catamaran. You will sail down the waters of Lake Nahuel Huapi to Victoria Island on the regular transport service.
Disembark at Puerto Anchorena and step into the silence of the forest and its history. Here the chances to spot local fauna increase greatly. Internal trails will take you to isolated beaches (like Bahía Totoras) where you will have time to relax over lunch by the lake shore, contemplating the different panoramic views offered by this mythical place.
You will finish the circuit coming back to Puerto Anchorena. Puerto Pañuelo is only 40 minutes away.
Your guide will meet you at your hotel for a private transfer up to El Tambo. From there, you will go over the last details and be given a brief explanation of the day’s activity.
You start off at a slow warm-up pace and after 15 minutes, you will make the first stop to check on clothing and to hydrate. The adventure continues through the woods, following a trail surrounded by thick vegetation. The ascent is slow up to the first lookout. From there you will steadily continue ascending until reaching the second part of the trail, where you will be surrounded by high lenga trees and colorful amancay flowers.
When approaching the tree line at 1600 meters, the vegetation begins yielding the center stage to fresh air and unmatchable panoramic views. After a 3-hour walk, you reach the pre-summit. The views do justice to the hill's name, guaranteeing postcard-like pictures.
Relaxation and lunch time are spent over a hearty "picada" prepared high in the mountain. You will relax here for about 2 hours. The return will take about two and a half hours by the same trail. Lunch is included.
Your guide will meet you at 9:30 am at your hotel. From there, you will go to the base of Cerro Catedral and the Cable Railway that will take you to the highest part of the mountain (2,000 meters).
You will begin your adventure through the Ridge of Cerro Catedral, high up in the Rucado Valley. The pace will be slow and steady. Although not technical, there are some areas that require your attention. After walking for approximately 3 hours and visiting some high altitude lagoons, you’ll reach the Frey Refuge, where you will enjoy an excellent homemade pizza.
You can choose to relax by the shore of the lagoon. During the descent, you will visit native forests and lookouts, and after another 3 hours you will reach the base of the Cerro Catedral. Lunch is included.
You will be picked up at your hotel by your guide and set off for a tranquil day of hiking.
This tour will take you to one of the most beautiful areas of Nahuel Huapi National Park, where you will see forests, lakes, beaches, mountains, and waterfalls, as well as the highest mountain in the area, Tronador. The mountain rises 3,478 meters above sea level and forms a natural frontier between Argentina and Chile.
Besides the magnificent scenery, there are unusual natural wonders such as the “black glacier,” Ventisquero Negro, which originates from the spotless white ice at the top of the Tronador. This is the source of River Manso, a typical mountain river that winds down to the Pacific Ocean, flowing over rapids and waterfalls such as the renowned Los Alerces Cascade, and linking up a range of beautiful lakes.
You will be met at your hotel by your guide and depart for Lago Guillelmo, a beautiful lake 30 miles south of Bariloche.
At the southern point you will begin the mountain bike stage along the old abandoned road which led to El Bolson. This scenic trip follows the coastline along the way. This ride crosses many beautiful beech (Coihue) forests, rocky outcrops, and small streams that flow down from the mountain.
At the northern point the support vehicle will be awaiting with lunch. After lunch and a rest, you will have around 2 hours for kayaking on the lake. Afterward, you will return back to your Bariloche hotel.
You will be met at your hotel by your guide and depart for a 45-minute transfer to Arroyo Fresco Beach on Lake Mascardi, where the equipment will be prepared and your guide will go over safety instructions.
You will kayak for around 40 minutes to Playa Leones, one of the most beautiful beaches in the national park. From there, you will hike through the forest to Laguna Llum. The path climbs gradually about 150 meters to the lake, passing through woods of Coihues (Southern beech), Notros (Firebush), and Caña Colihue (Colihue cane).
Return to Playa Leones by the same route where you will have lunch with time to relax before kayaking back to the starting point. After some afternoon tea, you will be returned to your hotel.
You will be met at your hotel by your guide and drive to Cerro Otto by car. At the summit (1400m), and after a brief instruction, you will ride through an incredible lenga forest to “Piedra de Hasburgo” (Hasburgo promontory) to check out one of the best views of the area.
You will have a snack while enjoying the views and then start the descent to Lake Gutierrez, a very nice and fun descent. The ride ends by Lake Gutierrez while enjoying the view and tasting the famous mate prior to returning to Bariloche.
Laguna Llum is a beautiful lake located in the middle of a seemingly enchanted wood of coihue and cypress trees. The road to get there seems to have been specially designed for mountain biking. It stretches 9 km into the forest by Lake Mascardi. The trail comes close to the bank of the lake where you may enjoy the sandy beach. (During summer we are always invited for a swim!)
You will be met at your hotel by your guide and drive to the base of Mount Catedral, one of the most important ski resorts in Northern Patagonia.
The excursion starts off by climbing Mount Catedral on one of the ski lifts to 1400m. After a brief instruction, you will get on your bikes and start a smooth descent along an amazing trail that crosses brooks, small cascades, and offers great vistas. The ride ends at a small beach by Lake Gutierrez with a gorgeous view of the south wall of the Catedral.
Super panoramic!
In spring, after the snow has melted, Cerro Catedral reveals its excellent mountain biking potential. This is one of Bariloche’s most classic mountain bike circuits.
You will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the trailhead. The trail begins at Lago Gutierrez and leads to the Cascada de los Duendes (Waterfall of the Goblins).
From here you ride to Balcón del Gutierrez, a natural balcony overlooking Lago Gutierrez. As the trail becomes steeper, you will have marvelous views of Lago Gutierrez.
After arriving at the base of Cerro Catedral, you will descend the asphalt road to an old road that takes you to the Casa de Piedra Arroyo, thus completing the scenic trip. You will be returned to your hotel at this time. Snacks are included.
This tour follows the mesmerizing Río Manso to the Chilean border in the midst of the Andes. Its carved granite gorges, sandy beaches and river crossings give the rider a unique taste of Patagonia.
You will be met at your Bariloche hotel for a lovely 50-mile drive to the Villegas bridge where you mount your bikes and start pedaling. The inner Río Manso valley, 12 miles long and between 0.6 and 1.8 miles wide, sits at 1650 feet above sea level. After crossing the first bridge, you will follow the river along its northern shore to the second bridge where you rejoin the road on the south side.
You will ride through native forests with several possibilities for resting and fishing on one the river’s many idyllic sandy beaches. Along the way, your guide will tell some of the stories of the first pioneers that arrived in Bariloche around the end of the 19th century.
The descendants of these first European inhabitants still practice their ancient traditions and live in houses which are all located within the national park boundaries. Along the ride you may stop in each of these villages to mingle with the friendly local people and taste their homemade delicacies. Lunch and snacks are included.
You will travel through incredible Patagonian landscapes to Lake Guillelmo. This scenic trip follows the coastline of Lago Guillelmo, a beautiful lake 30 miles from the city of Bariloche.
From the far end of the lake, you have the choice of returning by the same route or along the paved highway. This ride travels through many beautiful Beech (Coihue) forests and past rocky outcrops and small streams that flow down from the mountain. Transfers from/to your Bariloche hotel are included. Lunch and snacks are included.
You will be picked up from your hotel and set off on a very scenic boat trip. You’ll transfer to the pier at Puerto Panuelo, where you’ll board your ship for the two-hour crossing of Lake Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Blest.
Upon arrival in Puerto Blest, there will be some free time for a short hike and a visit to Cascada de los Cantaros (Cantaros Cascade). As an optional add-on, and if operational factors permit, you may be able to take an additional boat trip on narrow Lake Frias.
In the afternoon, you'll once again cruise across Lake Nahuel Huapi and dock at Puerto Panuelo, where you will be transferred back to your hotel.
This navigation departs from Puerto Pañuelo to visit the largest island of Nahuel Huapi Lake and the unique Arrayanes Wood. After 30 minutes of sailing, you will reach Puerto Anchorena on Victoria Island, where you will be able to walk along different paths and visit a coniferous nursery.
After another 30 minutes of sailing, you will get to Arrayanes Forest, located in the southeast coast of Quetrihué Peninsula. Although the "arrayanes" trees can also be found outside the National Park, this pure forest is the only place where they can reach 15 meters of height and be almost 650 years old. The “arrayán” blooms at the end of the year, producing tiny white flowers.
These trees are distinguished by their cinnamon color and smooth bark. When the bark peels off, whitish and reddish spots appear on the trunks and branches. Declared a national park in 1980, the forest is visited by way of a wooden walkway approximately 600 meters long to prevent the park from tourist damage.
This tour is a full-day combination of a very relaxed navigation to reach Puerto Blest, with some free time for a short hike and a visit to Cascada Los Cantaros (Los Cantaros Waterfall).
Leaving Puerto Pañuelo, you will sail to Puerto Blest on the western end of the lake. You will pass near the famous Sentinel Islet where Dr. Perito Francisco Moreno is buried. After visiting the Puerto Blest area, you will take a bus through a wooded area to Puerto Alegre, where you will board a catamaran to navigate Frías Lake and pass in front of the Echo Wall, a high rock formation that invites you to scream to confirm the reason for its name.
You will return to Puerto Blest and arrive at Puerto Cántaros to visit Cascada Los Cántaros, following the falls by a 60-meter-high stairway where you will be able to appreciate several waterfalls of great beauty. The area has thick vegetation and is one of the most humid points of Patagonia due to the influence of the Valdivian jungle.
Afterwards, you will return to PueRto Pañuelo.
The 184 km route from Bariloche to San Martin de Los Andes follows the shoreline of Nahuel Huapi Lake to Villa La Angostura. Along the way you will pass through two national parks: Nahuel Huapi and Lanin.
From La Angostura, you will drive by Correntoso (Swift) Lake, ideal for salmon-fishing, and Espejo (Mirror) Lake, which was given this name because of its clear waters, and which has a beautiful panoramic viewpoint. The road goes on - this is the most solitary part of the journey - skirting part of the Pichi Traful River, until you get to Traful. The slopes surrounding this path are densely populated with coihue and colihue cane forests.
The route continues to Escondido (Hidden) Lake, which lies to the left of the road. It is worth parking the car here to appreciate the beauty of this area. At this point, the road goes into the valleys of Lakes Villarino and Falkner, separated from one another by a narrow isthmus.
These are two of the most beautiful lakes along the trip. The road allows you to see the lake from above. The road goes through a wide valley where you will find, at kilometer 141, to your left, the breathtaking Vullinaco waterfall. There's a parking place here, and it is worth making a stop to admire the place.
Shortly afterwards you arrive at the entrance to Lanin National Park. There is a wide log arcade which separates both national parks. As far as kilometer 149 the wide valley of Lago Hermoso (Beautiful Lake) opens up in front of the traveler's eyes.
You will go on for another two kilometers to the shore of Lake Hermoso, the most beautiful of this journey's lakes. It is a small lake, surrounded by forest and with a beach that faces west – very sunny and sheltered from the wind. There's a camping place, a storehouse, some vacation homes, and a pathway which goes along the southern side of the lake.
The road goes on up to Lake Machonico, where the landscape is drier. As you go on toward San Martin de Los Andes, the road slowly goes up along Culebra (Snake) Creek. Look left as you cross the bridge over the Hermoso River to admire the narrow and steep gorge through which the creek flows.
Later on, the road goes down the wide Pil Pil River valley, which has been long inhabited by natives called mapuche. A romantic landscape of hills and forest surrounds you. Close to San Martin de Los Andes, at kilometer 171, there's a detour that takes you to Ski Center Chapelco.
Further on, another detour on the left leads to the summer cottage Quina Quina. Finally, as you draw near the end of the journey, you see Catritre Beach on the left and the beginning of Lake Lacar's southern shore, along which you go on until you get to San Martin de Los Andes, through Costanera Avenue.
You will be picked up from your hotel and depart on a full-day privately-guided fly fishing excursion.
Fly fishing in Patagonia gives you the chance to face the most amazing smorgasbord of waters, fish, and techniques. From the beautiful small dry-fly and nymph fishing streams for rainbows and browns, to large streamer fishing rivers for sea-run and freshwater migratory silver browns; from extremely delightful sight fishing pocket waters, to the finest and challenging landlocked salmon fishing streams – you can find it all here.
Patagonia is one of the few remaining areas in the world where you can still catch genuine wild trout descended from the stock introduced at the beginning of the century.
Villa La Angostura is a small and charming village, located on the northern margin of the Nahuel Huapi Lake.
Surrounded by lakes and forests, the village combines this spectacular landscape with the warmth and beauty of the typical mountain architecture. Some of the activities you can enjoy during summer months are: trekking, mountain biking, horseback riding, navigation in the lakes, fishing and more.
During winter, the main attraction is Cerro Bayo, a ski resort, ideal for local people and for those who want to enjoy a peaceful skiing experience.
