San Carlos de Bariloche was the central place in the region that my affective memory identified as the most beautiful place I had ever known - even though this impression reminded me of a trip twenty years ago, as I said here. But both the five-hour bus ride and the city, with the beautiful Villa La Angostura as a bonus, confirmed on the 2016 trip that the enchantment I had felt two decades ago was not something my memory had played tricks on me. This enchantment, by the way, also captured the heart of my wife, Marcia, on this trip, which for her was her first one. So much that we barely got back home and she already started making plans. The following year, with a slightly modified itinerary, we were back in the Andean Lakes region, with a longer stop once again in Bariloche.
The rough waves of the Nahuel Huapi Lake
Bariloche is not an easy beauty to describe. The architecture of the city and the snow on the highest peaks are very reminiscent of Europe, particularly the Swiss, German, and Austrian sceneries. But at the same time, the immensity of Lake Nahuel Huapi – with waves, due to the strong wind that blows – can sometimes give the impression that the city is bathed by ocean beaches. The exuberant vegetation, with various shades of green, and the forests of centennial trees bring us closer to the wild and almost untouched nature. This mosaic is crowned by the rich and varied Patagonian gastronomy, in addition to the chocolate factories and artisan breweries.
And here it must be said that I have never been to Bariloche when the city is covered with snow for several days and becomes one of the most important destinations for skiing and other winter sports. I have never lived – for better or for worse – the experience of seeing the city all covered in snow and, at the same time, overflowing with tourists from everywhere, including thousands of Brazilians. Winter in Bariloche, as in Brazil, is the Southern Hemisphere winter, between June and August, and I, being a teacher, always make my longest trips in January, the month of the school vacations.
Civic Center, highlighting the Municipalidad (City Hall) tower…
...and in the 2020 winter. Photos: Brasil Travel News site
It would be very difficult -or unfair- to make a list of Bariloche's beauties. Here I'll highlight the tours from which we have the most beautiful photos, starting with two that are relatively close to the city center, both on the same route, Exequiel Bustillo Avenue, in the northwest direction.
CERRO CAMPANARIO AND LLAO LLAO
The first is Cerro Campanario, about 17.5 km from downtown of Bariloche, with 1,049 meters of height, which top can be reached by a cable car, called aerosilla. From there you can see a significant part of the lake and the impressive vegetation of the Nahuel Huapi National Park, as well as the beautiful LlaoLlao Hotel Resort, Golf & Spa, and the Otto and Catedral hills. Cerro Campanario also has a botanical garden with diverse plant species that can be visited in the spring and in the summer. To get down, you can either take the cable car once more, or take the trail through the woods, which takes about 30 minutes of walking.
The second is Villa LlaoLlao (pronounced XaoXao), 7.5 km later, a small, typically touristy community squeezed between the immense Nahuel Huapi Lake and the Perito Moreno Lake. Besides the breathtaking scenery, LlaoLlao stands out for its Port Pañuelo, from where practically all lake excursions depart – including the crossing, done most of the time by boat, but also using minibuses and vans, known as the Andean Crossing, which departs from Bariloche and goes to Puerto Varas in Chile, and vice versa. Another highlight is the 5-star LlaoLlao Hotel Resort, Golf & Spa, which is worth a visit, even if you don't want to (or can't) stay there.
Parking at Llao Llao Hotel Resort, Golf & Spa
The cove on Lake Nahuel Huapi in front of Puerto Pañuelo
ISLA VICTORIA AND ARRAYANES WOODS
Also not to be missed is the catamaran trip to Victoria Island and the Myrtle Woods. The price is a bit high, but it is worth every penny. See here. Isla Victoria and Arrayanes Woods are two very special tourist attractions in Bariloche. The beauty of the crystal clear waters of the Nahuel Huapi Lake framed by mountains, the beauty of the Arrayanes forest (scientific name: luma apiculata; quetrihué in the mapuche language), a typical tree of this region, and the enchanting Isla Victoria are breathtaking. The arrayán tree is known for its single twisted branches, narrow trunks with irregular white spots, and cinnamon-colored bark that peels off as the tree grows.
Actually, the Arrayanes Woods belong to the Quetrihué Peninsula, which belongs to the neighboring Villa La Angostura, which I will talk about in another opportunity. The forest, in its turn, is part of Los Arrayanes National Park, which covers more than 1,600ha along the Quetrihué Peninsula. It is a perfect place for hiking and wildlife viewing. Visitors can explore the Arrayanes Woods along a 12km trail that runs from the Quintupuray bay at the beginning of the Quetrihué Peninsula to the port at the southern end. Hiking or biking along the trail provides stunning views of the forest, past Lake La Patagua and a number of viewpoints. For visitors arriving at the southern port, a half-mile (800-meter) loop allows hikers to take in the scenery in a 30-minute walk.
On Victoria Island, in addition to the trails of this millennial paradise, it is possible to observe cave paintings made by its first inhabitants near Playadel Toro, a splendid volcanic sand beach.
DOWNTOWN
The center of Bariloche is only a few meters away from bus stops and commerce in general. On the main street, Calle Mitre, you will find chocolate and handicraft stores, bars, restaurants, bookstores, music venues, galleries, tourist agencies, etc. It is the ideal area for those who don't want to depend on cabs or remis to do the day-to-day things.
Cabs in Bariloche work with a taximeter, as in Brazil. The remis, on the other hand, are a kind of cab that work with fixed prices. Cabs usually stay on the main streets of the city, while remis work through cooperatives and are called by hotels and restaurants. Although the remis have fixed prices, you can try to negotiate the price with the driver. Generally, cabs and remis have reasonable prices. Bariloche does not have an app-based transportation service.
About accommodation, it is also in the center that you will find the cheapest options. There are many hostels and small hotels with great value for money. However, keep an eye on the accessibility and conservation of the building where you will stay, since many constructions in this area are very old. I particularly find it an interesting option to consider sharing a space in someone's house or even an entire room through the Airbnb system.
In the downtown area, the highlight is Bariloche's Civic Center. A group of administrative buildings built around a square located between Mitre, Reconquista and Libertad streets, it houses the City Hall of San Carlos de Bariloche, the Municipal Secretariat of Tourism, the Popular Sarmiento Library, the Patagonia Museum, the Post Office, the Río Negro Province Police Station, and the Monument to Julio Roca, former Argentine president. A work of Ernesto de Estrada in cypress and pine wood and stone tufa extracted from Mount Carbón, its architecture, influenced by the predominant style in the mountainous and wooded regions of Europe and the USA, and with the magnificent scenery of the Nahuel Huapi lake as a backdrop, make it a must-see for tourists and city residents alike. Built in 1940, the Civic Center was declared a National Historic Monument in 1987. In its square it is common for important cultural and social events to take place.
Nearby is the Cathedral Church. Designed by the architect Alejandro Bustillo, it was completed in 1947. With its Neo-Gothic style, great walls, and enormous decorated dome, it surprises by its imponence and the incredible stained-glass windows. Through them it is possible to observe several representations of the Via Crucis, mixing biblical characters with historical figures of the region, such as Fray Francisco Menéndez, Jesuit Father Nicolás Mascardi, Ceferino Namuncurá, Father Milanesio (first parish priest of Bariloche) and even the builders of the temple: the architect Bustillo, represented as Saint Raphael, and Miguel ÁngelCesario, portrayed as Saint Michael the Archangel. The beauty of the stained-glass windows contrasts with its ostensibly colonialist and Europeanizing narrative. Another highlight is the beautiful garden surrounding the cathedral, which has rose bushes of all colors as its main stars.
General Conrado Villegas meeting with Monsignor Jose Fagnano on June 28, 1881, when the cornerstone of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Patagones was laid.
Photo: Daniel Pavser
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Besides its natural beauty and these attractions, Bariloche has many other attractions that would make this already huge post even more gigantic. I will list here only the best known ones.
Cerro Otto – Very close to downtown, this mountain, whose top is 1,405m high, is one of Bariloche's main attractions. Its main landmark is the revolving cafeteria, which can be reached by riding a closed cable car. In addition to the incredible revolving confectionery, we can enjoy the mountain outdoors all year long to enjoy the scenery and go hiking, and in the winter, snow activities. In addition, the ticket to Cerro Otto includes transportation from the city center to the cable car station.
Cerro Catedral – One of the first ski resorts to be installed in Latin America, this mountain of 2,405m is where the first winter snow appears. The resort has about 50 runs of varying difficulty levels. Of these, only 4 paths and 6 runs near the base are for beginners (in times of little snow, these runs can be impaired). The Cerro also has 40 different open and closed lifts, both for skiers and walkers.
Cerro Tronador – Cerro Tronador is the highest mountain in the Bariloche region, with 3,491m, exactly on the border between Chile and Argentina. Actually, it is an inactive volcano that is 80km from the center of Bariloche, that has three peaks, one being Argentinean, another Chilean and a third neutral. You have to hire a van to take the tour, which is done by Route 40 – the longest route in Argentina, which I have already talked about here – and lasts a whole day. The tour, which goes around part of Lakes Gutierrez and Masardi, also allows you to see Cerros Otto and Catedral from another point of view. When you get to the park where this mountain is located, you pay a fee at the entrance and right ahead you find a fork: one way goes to Tronador; another, to Los Alerces Waterfall.
Short trip to Villa La Angostura – This charming little town is about 83 km from Bariloche, from where buses leave every hour. But I will talk about it in another post.
Flowers – Bariloche is a flowered city, adorned with both wild flowers and manicured gardens. Its flowers are an attraction in themselves.
FRIENDS
Bariloche is a factory of friends. When, for the first time, way back in 1995, my then partner and I were welcomed by Marina, Óscar and their family, I experienced this hospitality for the first time. I have told some of this story before.
On the 2016 trip I could see that the warmth and hospitality I experienced in 1995 was not occasional. This time, the enchantment of Bariloche had an added component in the welcome from Cris and Max, our hosts at the cozy LLI GuestHouse in the Casa de Piedra neighborhood. Despite being 16 km away from downtown, the availability and friendliness of Max and Cris – not to mention the fact that Max is a very competent chef, always willing to please us with his gastronomical inventions – and the stunning scenery that surrounded us made it worth every minute we spent waiting for the bus line that would take us into town or the 15-minute walk through labyrinthine streets that we took from the house to Exequiel-Bustillo Avenue. A significant part of my confirmation that Bariloche was really the most beautiful place I had ever seen had to do with them.
Max, me, Márcia and Cris at LLI Guest House
Márcia in front of LLI Guest House
In 2017, because of the distance from the city center we opted not to stay at LLI GuestHouse and chose Alojamiento Masi in the JardínBotánico neighborhood, a few minutes walk from the center. Again, we were lucky enough to be welcomed by the couple Daniele and Luz, who had as a bonus the then-baby Bautista and Caterina, Daniele's mother, who came from Rome – Daniele's home town – to accompany Luz's pregnancy and to help in the care of Bauti's first months. In addition to the friendliness, kindness and helpfulness of this family, the house was a dream: beautiful, large, well decorated and cheerful. Just as had happened the year before with Max and Cris, we became friends with Daniele and Luz - which made our love for Bariloche move to an even more advanced, almost familial stage.
The cozy Alojamiento Masi
Some years have passed since our last trip to Bariloche, and like everything else, some things have changed there, and it seemed important to me to report here on how our hosts are doing today. Cris and Max are still together, but the delightful LLI GuestHouse is no longer in operation and now accommodates Cris' parents. The couple, in turn, now live on a farm where they have a lavender plantation in Villa Llanquín, about 40km NE of Bariloche.
There they produce and sell the most diverse derivatives of this incredible flower. They also receive groups of tourists interested in getting to know the work with lavenders, from planting to commercialization, and they maintain a tea house, where they also sell plants. If you want to get to know them, they are on Instagram. Just click on the logo on the side.
Lavandas del Limay Farm, at Villa Llanquín
Cris processing the lavenders
... and Max at the teahouse
Then about Daniele and Luz, the owners of Alojamiento Masi, our hotspot in 2017, the couple's relationship ended unfriendly and Luz went back to live with her parents in Buenos Aires, taking Bautista with her. The house is no longer available through Airbnb. On the bright side, Bautista has grown up and is now a handsome and smart boy, surely proud of the Argentine national soccer team, champions of the 22nd World Cup, and a fan of Lionel Messi, voted the best player of the cup and also the best player of the world in 2022.
Bautista, in 2017, in Bariloche
... and in 2023, in Buenos Aires, full of attitude
I have been to Bariloche three times: the first time in 1995, the second time in 2016, and the third time the following year, 2017. On each trip my impression that this small town is the center of the most beautiful region I have ever been to (the Andean Lakes) was only confirmed. Obviously, I am not one of the world's greatest travelers, but I have a significant travel history in Brazil, part of Latin America, part of Europe, and Morocco in Africa. And my first impression continues to be confirmed.
As I said before, I have never been to Bariloche during the winter, and therefore I have never seen the city all covered with snow. But I can guarantee that, whatever your feelings about the snowy landscapes (which I love), Bariloche during the summer is an explosion of colors, scents, of incomparable beauty. Go and see.
Translated by Laura Vieira
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