3 Best Sights in The Lake District, Argentina

This stunning national park is notable for having the highest concentration of lakes in Argentina. The largest of them, Lago Nahuel Huapi, covers 550 square km (212 square miles) and has eight arms—the longest of which runs 18 by 3 km (11 by 2 miles)—reaching deep into forests of coihue, cypress, and lenga trees. Intensely blue across its vast expanse and aqua green in its shallow bays, the lake meanders into lagoons and misty inlets where the mountains, covered with vegetation at their base, rise straight up out of the water.

Inside the park, nearly every water sport imaginable can be arranged through travel agencies, tour offices, or hotels. Boating is particularly popular, with options ranging from a placid Isla Victoria outing to challenging white-water rafting adventures. Information offices throughout the park offer tips about tackling the miles of mountain and woodland trails. For the more enterprising, small towns like Villa La Angostura and Villa Traful afford opportunities for off-the-tourist-trail explorations on foot or horseback. Since most of the park is at a low elevation (under 1,829 meters, or 6,000 feet), getting around in winter is not difficult—just cold. Visits in other seasons bring the rewards of spring flowers, long summer days, and spectacular fall foliage.

At 200 meters (656 feet) above sea level, this park’s titular lake has (relatively) warm water for swimmers, plentiful fish stocks for anglers, plus a selection of on-the-water excursions for boaters. Hiking options abound in the area as well—the most interesting of which are at the west end of the lake on the Chilean border.

Lago Nahuel Huapi's entire Quetrihué Peninsula, with its unique forest of arrayanes (myrtle trees), is protected by the Parque Nacional los Arrayanes. These trees absorb so much water through their thin skins that all other vegetation around them dies, leaving a barren thicket of peeling, cinnamon-colored trunks. A stroll along the park's wide wooden steps and walkways is a memorable experience, as light filters through the twisted, naked trunks, projecting a weird red glow. You can make this excursion from the pier at Bahía Brava in Villa La Angostura, or by boat from Bariloche via Isla Victoria. In summer, you can take a three-hour walk or cycle through the forest, after registering at the guardaparque office (ranger station) near the pier.  Leave in the morning, as the park entrance closes at 2 pm (11 am in winter). A nice way to optimize your time is to go by boat and come back by bike--this way, the return stretch is all downhill. If returning by boat, buy your ticket back at the pier before you leave.