Traverse America

This is a beautiful city rising majestically on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake in Río Negro province. Its surrounding landscapes combine mountains, the lake and the lush green of the forests; Natures dominates anywhere the eye can reach. The mountain range dresses in white during the winter months, giving the surroundings a peculiar touch.

San Carlos de Bariloche is considered one of the chief tourist destinations in Argentina, both in summer and wintertime. Its geography teems with lakes, glaciers, forests and ridges that form a singularly dazzling landscape and allow for many a recreational activity: skiing, snowboarding, trekking, fishing, rowing, just to mention a few. It all topped with excellent services and a wide choice of entertainment.

Nahuel Huapi Lake is no doubts one of the area's landscape attractions. Stemming from a glacier, it covers a 560-km² surface and its waters flow into Nahuel Huapi National Park area. Victoria Island lies on the lake like a sentinel and the Arrayanes Forests close by, amazes all visitors with its uniqueness. There are plenty of excellent tours to explore the place, such as a fishing trip to admire the lake?s immensity and soak the spirit in so much beauty. Canoeing and kayaking will also offer the chance to absorve this marvelous environment.

The city is a key starting point to take good tours. Walking down 'Los Pioneros' Avenue will lead to a couple of important destinations: Otto Hill and 'Piedras Blancas' (White Stones).

High up Otto Hill a startling landscape opens to view, a rotating lookout allows for a full round sweep. Here there are replicas of David, Moses and 'La Piettá' by Michelangelo, plus an array of available activities like trekking, rock climbing, sled riding, skiing and paragliding.

The Hill is easily accessible by means of a cable car starting at the bottom, or there are also the options of driving or walking. The fun here does not lie in the ascend, but the actual arrival at the top.

'Piedras Blancas' Winter Complex is located on the northern slope barely 9 km from the Hill, where 6 ha of steep terrain make up the ideal setting for the practice of Alpine skiing. Beginners have the option to practice Nordic skiing along 15 km of conditioned tracks.

Bariloche is definitely a very special choice: good restaurants, specialized in the local and international cuisines, complemented by the exquisite local chocolate. It is customary that visitors take some of this chocolate along while touring around the area.

'Tronador Hill', 90 km from town, harbors 'Los Alerces' Waterfall and one of the most picturesque vistas around. Three summits: the Argentine, the Chilean and the International, together with eight glaciers put up a breath-taking spectacle, almost impossible to take the eyes away from. A magnificent natural painting springs to view through singing rivers, blue hills, crystalline lakes and peaceful forests. 'Los Alerces' Waterfall and a rocky formation called The Devil?s Throat will surely take several minutes of anyone's attention. A feast of colors and landscape diversity will leave a deep imprint in everyone's memories.

 Another enjoyable tour is the one going up Cathedral Hill, spot that has become the classic presentation for Bariloche. Situated just 8 km from town, access is open from 10am to 6pm every day.                                                                    

Bariloche welcomes visitors the whole year round and available activities depend on the season. In wintertime, ski tracks are flooded by experts and amateurs. Many tourists dot the slopes along the several kilometers available for winter sports. The tracks also offer sweeping panoramic views of the startling southern landscapes. Sight-seeing here is possible in many ways: all-terrain vehicles, snow bikes or simply walking on tennis rackets. During summer when snow is gone, trekking, rock climbing and other adventure tours come in handy to fully enjoy the place.                                                              

Nahuel Huapi National Park, nearby the city of San Carlos de Bariloche, hosts an ample spectrum of landscapes, constituted by mixed forests and lakes like Traful, the Mirror and Villarino that dot the northern sector; and Gutiérrez, Mascardi, Guillermo and Steffen lakes covering the south. The waters conjugate with the dense vegetation, endowing the area with incomparable beauty. There is always the opportunity to observe the different local flora and fauna species, including the condors- the kings of this area.                                                                     

'Circuito Chico' (Short Round Tour) and 'Circuito Grande' (Long Round Tour) are some of the highly recommended excursions to explore the lakes and enjoy the surroundings.                                                                          

There is a wonderful natural and unspoiled spot, on the south-easternmost corner of Río Negro province within the mountain range, which offers special touristic choices. It is 'El Bolsón', a villa that started as a shrine of the hippie culture that has given the place very distinctive features. Stone and wood cabins, vegetation, wild life and immense forests are among its highlights.                                                                   

'Piltriquitrón Hill' overlooks the place and is considered an energy spot that improves mood. Places to visit here: 'Rio Azul' lookout, Loma del Medio, 'Amigo Hill', 'Escondida' and 'Mallín' waterfalls.                                                                                                                                                               

The visit to the regional fair at the Andean Community on the 42nd Parallel brings visitors to closer contact with the local crafts and arts, exhibited in around 250 stalls. Horse riding, swimming, paragliding, easy trekking and mountaineering are the main options in this area. El Bolsón is surely included among the choices when looking for a way to relax: a complete spiritual and physical renewal.                                                                                                                                    

La Angostura Villa in Neuquén Province offers countless amazing places to visit. 'Los Arrayanes National Park' preserves a dense and typical forest located on Quetrihué Peninsula. Due to its singular characteristics it has become the icon of the Argentine Patagonia.                                                                        

A fascinating color spectrum floods 20 ha out of the total 1 753 occupied by the Park. The average age of these trees ranges from 160 to 250 years, though there some older and stronger ones in between 500 and 600 years of age. The singularity of these species lies in the heights they reach and their gray-spotted orange bark that acquires a unique ochre shade when hit by the sun rays. Quetrihué Peninsula is the place to go for such a natural beauty display.                                                      

There exists a fascinating lake with crystalline green waters and irregular coastline located in the area near La Angostura Villa, Correntoso Lake. The spot where it joins Nahuel Huapi Lake gives birth to the Correntoso River. These places are frequented by expert fishermen attracted by stunningly big trout specimens that make up the region's cuisine specialties. The lake is accessible by the Ruta Nacional nº 231 (National Freeway 231).                                                                     

Bayo Hill goes as another of the really attractive places to visit in this region, located barely 9 km from La Angostura Villa on the provincial route 6. Flanked by forests and adorned by Nahuel Huapi Lake waters, it constitutes the chief skiing facility at La Angostura. It owns an impressive service infrastructure, capable of meeting anyone's needs and tastes. The tracks are perfectly conditioned for either experts or beginners. It covers 200 ha and extends along 20 km ready for skiing and snowboarding. Sleds and all the necessary gear is available for rent. The restaurant offers excellent food to top an active day.                                                                                                  

Victoria Island is surely a tour to take, though recommended as a half-day trip. This is paradise surrounded by transparent waters and carpeted by vegetation consisting chiefly of pines. Lunch time will probably strike while in this beautiful place, but there is a rather wide restaurant choice along the way. The best view of the area awaits at the top of Bella Vista Hill.                                                                                    

There is a narrow trail that links one lake with the other, called 'The Seven Lakes Trail'. Mountains and dense forests line the trail all along. The first water mirror to spring to view is precisely Mirror Lake, some kilometers further down lies Escondido (Hidden) Lake, small and beautiful it gives way to other lakes like Villarino and Falkner. The trail leads into Lanín National Park, characterized by Lanín Volcano in full view, showing its snow-capped summit, and Hermoso Lake. Up ahead, the landscape changes into arid terrain, presents Machónico Lake and gets to San Martín de los Andes, featuring Lácar Lake. The whole trail is 110 km long, begins near La Angostura Villa and ends in San Martín de los Andes.