The Lake District

Hundreds of sapphire lakes lie hidden amidst the snow-covered peaks of the Andes on the western frontier with Chile, in what has become the most popular tourist area in Patagonia—the Northern Lake District. Despite its growing popularity and access from developed towns like Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes, visitors are constantly amazed at how easy it is to lose yourself in a silent forest, or by a still lake with no houses, no boats, no piers—just you and the natural surroundings.

Parque Nacional Lanín, in Neuquén Province, and the neighboring Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, in Río Negro Province, add up to 2.5 million acres of natural preserve—about the size of New England. South of Bariloche and the Cholila Valley and northwest of Esquel, the Parque Nacional los Alerces, named for its 2,000-year-old alerce trees, covers 1,610 square km (1,000 square mi) of mountains, forests, and lakes, with only one dirt road leading into it. Lago Puelo National Park near El Bolsón also has only one access road in Argentina, with a trail out the other side into Chile.

Outdoor activities and a wide variety of lodgings in extraordinary settings attract visitors year-round. In winter, skiers come to Cerro Catedral for its size and terrain, superb setting overlooking Nahuel Huapi Lake, and its proximity to Bariloche. Smaller areas such as Chapelco in San Martín de los Andes, and Cerro Bayo in Villa La Angostura attract mostly Argentines, lots of Brazilians, and a few other foreigners.

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