Days 12-17...5 Glorious Days in Bariloche, Argentina February 23-28

Days 12-17

5 Glorious Days in Bariloche, Argentina

February 23-28, 2018

This is  Bariloche, Argentina!

We spent 5 glorious days in Bariloche, Argentina. It is perhaps one of the most gorgeous natural settings imaginable. Bariloche is said to be "where the woods, lakes, and mountains come together to welcome you!" This is very true.

    San Carlos de Bariloche, although most commonly referred to as Bariloche, is a town in Argentina's Patagonia region. 

                    

    Bariloche is situated on the southern shores of the glacial lake Nahuel Huapi Lake in the foothills of the soaring peaks of the Andes Mountains which ring the town of Bariloche, giving picture-postcard views in nearly every direction.

     We enjoyed every moment of the 5 days we spent exploring this stunning area. It didn't hurt that each day had crystal clear blue skies and pleasantly warm weather with the temperature in the low 80's.

     We spent one day hiking in the vast Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi area in the Lake District of Argentina, Patagonia. This park is known for its largest glacial lake, the Nahuel Huapi. The Andes Mountains form its western border and include Mount Tronador, a dormant volcano. 

     We followed the dirt road around Largo Mascardi to the National Park entrance. From there we followed the Monso RIver to Pampa Linda. Across Vuriloches Valley to the Black Glacier with a spectacular view of the glacier and icy lake. We hiked to Garganta del Diablo waterfall. Along the way, we had stunning views of Cerro Tronador.

                      

  Glaciar Castano Overo with its impressive waterfalls.

     We also witnessed, and then 6 seconds later heard, an avalanche from the glacier. The sound was a resounding BOOM! 

Spilling glacial water and ice over the cliffs of Cerro Tronador to the Black Glacier

       
            

where the glacial water carried huge chunks of floating ice.
           

    When we had arrived in Bariloche, we rented a car and drove the "Circuito Chico" route and enjoyed a beautiful hike through the forest to a stunning viewpoint of the Lago Mascardi and the islands below. It was very reminiscent of the San Juan Islands in our Pacific Northwest.

     A few days later we drove to Puerto Panuelo to take a boat trip in a very small boat, 10 folks including the captain, instead of the huge 150 person catamaran.  We cruised to the harbor on Victoria Island and the surrounding area that we had seen from above on our previous day's hike. 




This "lake" which is reminiscent of Puget Sound, is absolutely massive and seems to go on forever! Its intense blue colored water, its islands, and the surrounding mountainous landscape make it an unforgettable experience.
      Its area encompasses 205 sq miles! The Nahuel Huapi is a glacial lake which explains why it has such crystal-clear blue waters. Its depth has been measured at over 1,522 feet, although they say deeper depths may exist, and it is nearly 2,500 feet above sea level.

     This lake has 7 branches or "fingers": Campanario, de las Tristeza, Blest, Machete, de Pincon, Ultima Esperanza and Huemel.

     As we were "cruising" we saw Chile off in the distance.

The tiny looking boat in the distance is the huge cameraman.

     Because of the size of our small boat, we were able to get up close to see the cormorants and seagulls enjoy the sunny day on one of the island's shores.

      We spent our last day hiking up the mountain Mount Catedral, which is the largest and most attractive ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere with over 2,965 acres. It was the site of one of last year's World Cup competitions. 

     There are gondolas and ski lifts for those who want to get all the way to the top without hiking. For those who enjoy hiking, the views at the top are stunningly beautiful and the unforgettable! 

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     While there is so much to see and do in Bariloche, we decided to stay here and soak up this serenity. 

     

     We returned to the base of the ski lifts and headed back to our spacious and lovely apartment, the Apts de la Arroyo to pack, for tomorrow we return to Chile.

    Throughout the course of our stay, we did manage to stop off numerous times at our favorite craft beer location, Patagonia 24.7 
   
    It truly does not get better than this for a brew and a view!

CHEERS  to Bariloche!