BARILOCHE: PLACES THAT YOU CAN’T MISS

San Carlos de Bariloche is a small but striking Alpine city, provided with all the services that a first-class tourist city can offer enabling one to enjoy a deserved rest at any time of the year.

At the foot of Lake Nahuel Huapi and surrounded by a series of landscapes which are absolutely irresistible, visiting the city of Bariloche is in itself an adventure for the traveler.

This city, one of the largest in Patagonia, has a varied infrastructure for gastronomy, lodging and entertainment, including hotels, bungalows, and even casinos and discos.

Besides being famous for its international ski slopes and its fine chocolate, Bariloche is located in an unbeatable geographical setting: it has a mild climate, unlike the rest of Southern Patagonia. There are four well-marked seasons permitting one to take advantage of each activity at the appropriate moment. Moreover, it affords one easy access to the mountain heights, where there are a large number of lodges enabling excursions that last several days.

BARILOCHE – VILLA LA ANGOSTURA

You can make your dream come true by walking in the fallen leaves and the snow among flowers like amancays and mutisias, with the eternal company of coihues and ñires and the sweet cooing of diucas and bandurrias.
The magic dwarfs of the forest will lead you through pleasure towards a reality that will satisfy all your expectations

BARILOCHE - ESQUEL

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Places and Excursions that you can not miss

The City

In the "town" as it is familiarly known by its inhabitants, the tourism area lies around the Centro Cívico. A main shopping road is Mitre, to a lesser extent Moreno and the streets that intersect with them.
On these streets you will find a large number of chocolate factories, places where you can buy smoked meats and fish, textiles, etc., as well as restaurants, fast food eateries, travel agencies and theaters.
The area, internationally famous for its ski runs and its fine chocolate possesses a highly developed hotel infrastructure for visitors' comfort, ranging from hotels and bungalows to casinos and discotheques.

The Centro Cívico (Civic Center)

This is one of the most characteristic places in the city. It was the first are to be built in the country, and is now a National Historical Monument. It was officially inaugurated on March 17, 1940.

Its buildings are mediaeval in style, and cluster around the small and picturesque "Expedicionarios del Desierto" Square. It was built with cypress and larch wood and piedra toba stone (a dark greenish-gray rock) that was quarried in Mt Carbón, on the south side of the current Nahuel Huapi National Reserve.

At the center of the plaza stands the monument to Julio A. Roca. Around it lie the following local government and public buildings: the Municipality, the Municipal Tourism Secretariat, the Police Station, the Patagonian Museum and the Sarmiento Public Library, the former Post Office building (now an exhibition hall) and the former Customs building.

On the Municipality clock tower, twice a day at noon and 6 p.m. the large theme clock displays a parade of four figures representing the local pioneers: an Indian, a missionary, a "conquistador" and a farm laborer.

Mitre Street

It starts from one of the arcades of the Centro Cívico. It is the city's main business thoroughfare and is therefore the most popular strolling area for tourists. It contains a wide variety of places of interest and entertainment options. A number of regional crafts stores and all kinds of shops are found along this important shopping road.

Port of San Carlos de Bariloche

In 1989 construction of the tourist pier and its adjacent building was begun, in order to recover the port on the lake that was destroyed by the Chilean earthquake in Valdivia in 1960. This is an embarkation port for lake excursions. There is a restaurant and fast--food area as well as children's games.

Cathedral Church

Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi has been declared a National Historical Monument. Its construction was begun in 1946 but never finished. From the lakefront its façade and main entrance can be seen. This is the only part of the building that was finished, and it is now a chapel. It is a handsome neo-Gothic building designed by architect Alejandro Bustillo. The stone crafting is very interesting. Inside one finds over 45 stained-glass windows or vitraux showing religious and historical events related to Patagonia. Every year in December, the Christmas Choir Festival is held here, featuring the "Coro de Niños y Jóvenes Cantores de Bariloche" (Bariloche Youth Choir), accompanied by other choirs and local musicians and ensembles.

Bariloche Andean (Mountaineering) Club

This prestigious club was founded in 1935 by a group of pioneers including Dr. Juan Neumeyer, Emilio Frey, and Otto Meiling. It is a reflection of its Alpine Club counterparts. This is a landmark building in the town, and a reference point in San Carlos de Bariloche.

La Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception Chapel)

Built of wood in 1905, this is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city. It is on Moreno street and was designed by Primo Capraro at the request of Padre Zacarías Genghini. It is in beautiful surroundings, including a lookout point with a view on downtown and the Cathedral. In 1973 it was transported on rails to its present location. Its exterior is covered with wooden tiles and the interior is lined with paneling.

Paleontology Museum

The exhibits include interesting samples of material from different geological periods, as well as giant spiders and other curiosities.

"Francisco P. Moreno" Patagonian Museum

It was inaugurated by National Parks in 1940 and is house d in the east wing of the Civic Center. It is named after the famous explorer of the Andes and the Patagonian rivers, who donated the lands that were later transformed by the government into the first National Park in Argentina. It has halls specializing in natural science, ethnography, pre-history and local and regional history. It also has a library and a bookstore.

Isla Victoria and Arrayanes Forest

Once on the island, our suggestion is to spend time trekking it. The place must have been inhabited for thousands of years. Proof of this, are the smoke stained caves and the rupestrian paintings. There is also a noticeable mêlée of fauna and flora. The native species such as cypresses coihues and ñires cohabit with huge sequoias, thujas, eucalyptus, oak and pinecones. Something similar happens with the fauna. Such species as the native “pudu pudu” or dwarf deer cohabits with the wild boar or jabalí, European deer, pheasant and a variety of birds. Don’t be surprised if a vigilant imperial cormorant accompanies you. This island is 20 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide with a total surface of 3.710 hectares. It is divided into three sections, two of which have been declared intangible zones. The one that can be visited is the central one with such places as Playa del Toro, Puerto Radales, Puerto Gross and Piedras Blancas.

From Isla Victoria you can continue the trip by boat towards Puerto Quetrihue located to the south of the peninsula that bares the same name. This trip also takes 30 minutes and the most outstanding feature is that you land at a pure and dense arrayán forest. The arrayán is a tree that has a cinnamon brown bark. This bark detaches itself in strips revealing lighter layers of the same hue.

The arrayán tree has round small dark green leaves. Near the end of the summer the trees cover themselves with small white flowers which later turn into round black brilliant fruit. This, together with the fact that it is almost the only tree specimen in the area, gives the surroundings a strange coloring. These trees have thrived thanks to the dampness of the habitat. You can find specimens that grow up to 15 meters tall and are 650 years old.

Lake Crossing

The crossing can be done both from Puerto Montt in Chile or from San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina. Any time of the year is appropriate to go across the Andes and discover one of the most important ecological reserves in South America. The trip by ship is enormously interesting. It starts al Lake Frías, which is navigated for about 20 minutes. At Puerto Frías there is an obliged stop for migration and customs paper work on the Argentine side. At this point you are immersed in the Valdivian jungle. This area receives 3.500 mm of rain per year resembling thus a subtropical forest. In this region huge specimens of larch, guaiteca cypress, pellin oak and other local species form the forest.

Four kilometers from Puerto Frías is the international boarder at a pass called Perez Rosales. The trip continues for 28 kilometers by bus along the jungle up to a rural locality called Peulla. At Peulla you will have to stop at the Chilean Customs and Migration offices. You will also find hotel and restaurant facilities and not more than 800 inhabitants at 976 m.a.s.l.\

At Peulla one usually stays the night to continue the following day for a 2-hour navigation leg on Lake De Todos los Santos, also called Lake Esmeralda. You will be impressed by the emerald green of its waters, the snow covered top of the Puntiagudo volcano (2493 meters), Mount Techado, the Margarita island and the other surrounding snow covered peaks which include the Osorno Volcano (2652 meters).

At the end of this leg you will reach Port Petrohue located within the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, the oldest Chilean park with a surphace of 251.000 hectares. From here on a vehicle takes you to the Petrohue Falls. These are 7 waterfalls formed by the Petrohue River before it sends its waters into Lake de Todos los Santos. All the area used to be covered by glaciers, which as they melted away have formed steep cliffs, carved and pushed sediments and rocks forming thus the capricious formations before your eyes. The trip continues to a locality called Ensenada. This is small rural settlement on the sides of the Osorno volcano where you can find fine cabaña complexes, restaurants and open-air activities

From here on you travel along a paved road which boarders lake Llanquihue. This lake has a surface of 877 square kilometers. You will notice how the landscape transforms itself into fields of all the imaginable hews of green and wooden constructions with wooden shingled roofs. After 64 kilometers you reach the city of Puerto Varas. Different local trees such as olivillos, ulmos and tiacas protect its beaches.

SMALL CIRCUIT

This circuit is a traditional option that takes only half a day. Generally it is the first excursion one does and thus, the first contact with the landscape of the region. It is approximately 60 kilometers long and it begins and ends in San Carlos de Bariloche, following lake Nahuel Huapi’s waterfront along a paved road called Avenida Ezequiel Bustillo. Lake Nahuel Huapi is the biggest lake of the whole region. It has a surface of 55.700 hectares. All along the way, you will be accompanied by it as well as by the Andean peaks and the opposite shores in the distance.

As you begin this circuit you will notice well-kept gardens and the typical construction style consisting mainly of wood and local stone. Some belong to pioneers and some to institutions such as the nautical club. Neighborhoods are identified by the kilometers that have passed since you started the trip. As you go along, the landscape offers different aspects of the lake, the type of forest begins to vary intermingled with cypress and maitén trees and in the summer time these colors are accentuated by the flowers of wild rose, wild berries, Spanish broom and other wild species. At kilometer 8 the neighborhood is called Playa Bonita and the island you’ll see is called Isla Huemul. Further on, at kilometer 12,300 you will reach Bahía Serena, which is a protected beach area, which also allows access to boats. Thus and as you advance, you will discover places of uncommon beauty product of the combination of mountain, lake and forest.

At kilometer 17 you can make a stop at the chairlift of Cerro Campanario, which will let you have a magnificent view from 1050 m.a.s.l. As you continue you will reach the entrance to the San Pedro Peninsula and at kilometer 24, you will be at the Llao Llao peninsula. Here your attention will be drawn to the St. Eduard’s Chapel, Puerto Pañuelo and the link grounds of the Llao Llao Hotel strategically located between lakes Moreno and Nahuel Huapi. At this point the landscape is a conjunction of colors and shapes that give the Nahuel Huapi National Park its well-deserved fame.

Surrounding the hotel’s grounds is a municipal park created to protect a zone of species such as coihue trees, colihue canes, creepers and shrubs. It is worthwhile to walk the interior paths in order to reach places where not even the sun can penetrate. Back on the road, you reach a beach area called Villa Tacul and Lago Escondido, hidden yet easy to find. Finally you will reach the jointure of lakes Nahuel Huapi with Perito Moreno. The road goes across the Angostura River which is only 150 meters long and which offers cobbled beaches at both sides.

Further on is Mount Lopez, the burial place chosen for all those who lost their lives mountain climbing and who dedicated part of their lives to this activity. Then come the orchards of the Swiss settlers, the panoramic or lookout point on lake Moreno, and Laguna El Trebol. A few kilometers further the road links again with Avenida Bustillo and you will be heading back to the city of San Carlos de Bariloche.

Puerto Blest

This trip also begins at Pto. Pañuelo on the Llao Llao peninsula. The boat navigates along the long and narrow Blest Arm. From the start and all along the way the landscape is spectacular: thick forest, imposing mountain peaks, transparent glacial waters.

The entrance to the Blest arm is guarded by mounts Capilla and Millaqueo and the Centinela island. On this island rest the remains of Francisco Pascacio Moreno, the creator of the Argentine National Parks.

A few minutes after starting the navigation within the arm and near Islas Mellizas the maximum known depth is reached: 464 meters. A few minutes before arriving at Puerto Blest you will see Playa de las Arañas and Cascada Blanca

After sailing for an hour, the boat reaches Pto. Cántaros at Bahía Blest. You are now within the Valdivian Jungle due to the fact that it is one of the places, which receives heavier rainfalls: 3000 mm per year. Enormous trees like the coihue and alerce or larch inhabit this jungle; a bushy grove crowded with creepers and liana and, thanks to the dampness, a proliferation of herbs, ferns, moss and fungi.

Don’t miss the timber-lined path, which takes you to Laguna and Cascada Los Cántaros. From this point the opposite side of Puerto Blest can be seen. This last one is the starting point towards the international pass Perez Rosales

At Puerto Blest you can visit or stay at the hostería . There is also an area designed to help you interpret how the local species grow. You will probably hear the roar of Río Frías. This river begins at Lago Frias and carries its milky waters into the Nahuel Huapi lake creating and emerald green hue in all the surrounding area. If you are in the mood for walking around an extra hour and a half you can reach Pto. Alegre, on lake Frias, distant 3 kilometers away. This lake can be navigated for 40 minutes to arrive in Puerto Frias where the road towards the international pass begins.

Here you may choose to continue to Chile across the Perez Rosales Pass, reach the Peulla locality and start a trip visiting the Chilean Lake territory