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Bariloche
Reception and transfer from San Carlos Bariloche Airport to the hotel.
Opción en bus:
This program can be performed by bus, returning to Buenos Aires from Bariloche, travelling a distance of approx. 1,600km and lasting 18 hours. In this case the depart is around 19pm the day before to arrive the following day.
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Valle Encantado, Villa Traful & Villa La Angostura
Breakfat at the hotel. We leave San Carlos de Bariloche city crossing the Ñirihuau and Limay rivers, towards Rincón Chico. During the trip we go along the Limay river up to Rincón Grande where we can see the amphitheatre whose silhouette is similar to the one of the Roman circuses. We later arrive at Valle Encantado with its rocks drawing different figures such as El Dedo de Dios (God´s Finger), Los Siameses or El Centinela (the guard). Our next destination is Confluencia, where the Traful and Limay rivers meet. Before crossing over the Traful river bridge, we take a dirt road which winds between valleys and Coihue forests, edging Traful Lake up to Villa Traful. After enjoying this beautiful Patagonian spot we go on towards Puerto Arrayán and El Portezuelo, where there is a junction with the Siete Lagos (7 lakes) route. After going through Quintupuray and going along the coast of the Correntoso Lake, we get into Ruca Malen. Going back to Bariloche, the trip takes us to the Espejo Lake , finally arriving at Villa La Angostura. We know Puerto Manzano, going by the Huemul peninsula. Then, we are only missing the trip from Villa La Angostura to Bariloche. |
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Valdivian Jungle: Puerto Blest, Frías Lake & Los Cántaros Waterfall
Breakfat at the hotel. We embark at Puerto Pañuelo (Pañuelo harbour) towards Brazo Blest, where we will arrive at the Blest harbour. We go past the Centinela islet, famous for being the place where Perito Moreno has been buried. All this region is somehow similar to the channels of Tierra del Fuego and to the fjords in Norway, it overflows with vegetation due to the damp climate and frequent rains. There is an additional possibility to reach Frías Lake by bus. Then we go to Puerto Alegre in a northernly direction of the Frías Lake, to embark up to Puerto Frías. The Frías Lake has an oval shape, there are rocky zones which protrude from the East and West coasts generating the classic image of the fjords.
Continuous rains due to the damp winds coming from the Pacific characterize all the region. The rain average is around 3,700mm per year especially in Winter, being January the only dry month. This lake feeds on thaw water coming from the Tronador Mount and on the intense rains of the Valdivian jungle. When returning to Puerto Blest (it is on the Nahuel Huapi Lake just at the mouth of the Frías river) we go by Los Cántaros waterfall. We must climb through a native wooden track surrounding the waterfall reaching some 600 meters high, where beautiful small waterfalls can be seen. We return to the ship to go back to our destination.
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Circuito Chico - Esquel
Breakfast in the hotel. During the morning, we will take Circuito Corto (Short Circuit) to see the wonderful landscapes surrounding San Carlos de Barliloche: lakes, mountains and forests. It begins in Bariloche through Bustillo's Avenue bordering Nahuel Huapi's Lake. Road to Llao Llao. During the afternoon we went to the Bus Station to take the bus to the city of Esquel. Reception at the Bus Station and transfer to hotel Esquel.
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Los Alerces National Park
Breakfat at the hotel. We depart towards the principal gate of the National Park in a journey where we will be able to distinguish the ecosystems of the region, with a dense vegetation thanks to the continuous rains. The lakes as in the Percy River that we can observe during the trip are due to the movements of the glaciers that we find in the mountains. We rest for the first time in Villa Futalaufquen knowing the Interpretative Center so as to understand its autochthonous flora and fauna.
We then arrive at Puerto Limonao, bathed by the Futalaufquen Lake waters, 4km near. We can take a ship from that harbour to sail the waters of the lakes Futalaufquen, Verde and Menéndez so as to arrive at the northern part of the park, actually to enter the jungle area to discover the Alerzal Milenario. This voyage on a catamaran (double hulled vessel) is not included, please check before travelling because it is offered only in high season months. In case of not performing the navigation, we return to Esquel.
Optional in high season:
Navigation along the Futalaufquen, the Verde and the Menéndez Lakes & Alerces Milenarios Forest
In Summer there is an optional navigation along the Futalaufquen Lake from Puerto Limonao to Puerto Mermoud. From here we do a small trek to reach Puerto Chucao at the shore of the Menéndez Lake, from where we will start the second maritime stage towards the Alerzal Milenario. Another path takes us to the lake and river Cisne with its rapids until we meet the oldest alerce in the park. |
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Esquel - San Martin de los Andes
Breakfast in the hotel. We will set off to our new destination: the beautiful city of San Martín de los Andes, with its autochthonous architecture, according to a natural harmony in equilibrium. Free afternoon to stroll around the city. |
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Navigation along the Lácar & Nonthué Lakes
Breakfat at the hotel. We embark at the Lácar Lake pier. In the first stretch of our navigation, we can see the high walls of the Abanico Mount until we reach Quila Quina, our first stop. We can enjoy a small trekking along the Cipresal, a cypress zone on the shore of the lake. We also get to the Arroyo Grande Waterfall. We leave Quila Quina towards the west to disembark at our next destination: the Santa Teresita Island.
Here we find Arrayanes and the chapel. The maritime route takes us through a narrow water path between both lakes. Once on the Nanthué lake, we reach Hua Hum where there is a lodging house with the same name and the source of the homonymous river which flows into the Pacific Ocean. Once on land we begin a short trekking up to the Chachín Waterfall during an hour with a mild but constant ascent. We cross raulíes, oaks and coihues forests which don´t allow the sun to go through. Even in the undergrowth we can see a cohihe reedbed jungle together with ferns that form a dense vegetation.
The Chachín waterfall is an important fall which impresses; it is a geological fault which makes its water fall from 24 meters high generating a stunning roar when hitting the base. This journey allows us to see in detail how the ecosystem where the Patagonic lakes coexist is, in this case in the Lanín National Park. In the afternoon we return sailing towards the beautiful San Martín de los Andes.
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Quila Quina
Breakfast at the Hotel. We leave behind the beautiful town San Martín de los Andes to go deeper into the Lanín National Park so as to visit one of the most wonderful places of this region: Quila Quina. It is located on the banks of the Lácar Lake and the road is a typical mountain road with fantastic sights. During the visit to this residential village, we arrive at the best beach of the zone next to the pier. In summer, with hot weather, people bathe in the lake. Towards the east there is an interpretation path: The Cipresal, a cypress legendary reserve. We can return navigating through the Lácar Lake and enjoying the landscape (optional) |
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7 Lakes Road - Bariloche
Breakfast at the hotel. Just at the town of San Martín de los Andes is where the famous Seven Lake Route begins and it ends in the town of Bariloche. We set off around the edge of the Lácar Lake during almost 4km up to Paihuén. The landscape is composed of cypress, lengas, raulíes and oaks legendary forests. We stop at the Pil-Pil lookout point to enjoy an overwhelming sight of the Lácar Lake.The Chapelco Mountain range with its 2,200 meters high and the crystalline lakes of sweet water are always with us during the journey. As we go on, we arrive at the forked Arroyo Partido, which divides its water in branches into the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean
The second lake we see is the Machónico, then the Hermoso Lake where we abandon the Lanín National Park to continue along the Nahuel Huapi National Park. We go through the Vullingñanco Waterfall with its important fall of over 20. To honour the lakes, we delight seeing the fourth and fifth lake: to the east the Villarino lake and to the west the Falkner lake. We leave the asphalted road and once on the gravel road, rougher and more natural, we get into a zone of Coihues forests, the Escondido lake is on our right with its fantastic emerald colour. The road takes us to the Pichi Traful lake and then we go around the edge of the Correntoso lake.
Then we go into the zone of the Espejo Chico and the Ruca Malen lakes. Then the Espejo Grande lake up to the branch off to Chile by the Antonio Samoré crossing and turning to the left to get to Villa la Angostura. The piers on the Nahuel Huapi lake stand out, and the most important points are the small town and the Manzano Bay. We continue to Bariloche to end the journey. Transfer to the airport or to the bus station in San Carlos de Bariloche. End of the excursion.
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