Esquel & Bariloche in 7 days

7 days - 6 nights

Day 1 - Esquel

Reception and transfer from Esquel Airport to the hotel.

Day 2 - Full Los Alerces National Park

Today we will know one of the most attractive national parks in Patagonia: Los Alerces. The park spans two hundred and sixty-three thousand hectares protected since 1937 with the fundamental aim to safeguard the woodland species after which it is named, the lahuan or alerce. During our stroll around the park we will visit beautiful places which make up a water basin with more than 12 lakes and rivers, such as the Futalaufquen Lake, the Arrayanes River, the Verde Lake, the Menéndez Lake, surrounded by an Andean mountain range, together with glaciers and the Valdivian jungle. What completes this wonderful offer is the one-thousand-year-old alerces forest located in the north of the park, one of the few forests still kept in wilderness in the world, known as Alercial Milenario. This region is considered, by experts, the most beautiful of all regions in Patagonia and honestly they are not mistaken, it is difficult to find another destination with so much charm as this one.

Optional in High Season:

Navigation along the Menéndez Lake & Alerces Milenarios Forest  or Navigation up to Kruger Lake without disembarkation

In Summer there is an optional navigation to Menéndez Lake having access to the alerces milenarios forest (one-thousand-year-old alerces) discovering trees of more than 2,500 years of existence, which have an impressive appearance. We must arrive at the Arrayanes River, we walk over the hanging bridge to cross the river, and border the Menéndez River up to the Puerto Chucao entrance. At this harbour we embark at midday to sail along the Menéndez Lake, the biggest of the park, till we arrive at Puerto Sagrario. During the voyage, we can see the Torrecillas Glacier. Once on land, together with the guide, we walk into the forest of alerces milenarios (one-thousand-year-old alerces) and enjoy the Cisne Lake and the rapids of the river with the same name. We can appreciate the oldest alerce in the park, with 2,600 years old and a diameter over 2 meters and a height over 57 meters.

Note: Another possibility is to sail along the Verde Lake, the Arrayanes River and the north area of the Futalaufquen Lake until we reach the Kruger Lake once we pass through the Los Monstruos Strait. In this second case, we don´t disembark.

Day 3 - Trevelin: Nant & Fall small waterfalls, nant Fach Flour mill and Pisciculture

We depart from Esquel to visit the Nant and Fall Province Natural Reserve, where three waterfalls form the stream with the same name that means Arroyo de Los Saltos (Waterfalls Stream) in Welsh and are located in a lush cypress forest. They are the natural drainage of the Rosario Lake  which forms these waterfalls in its way to the Corintos River, affluent of the Futaleufú River. The Nant Fach flour mill is a replica of the old mills built by Welsh colonists in the Valle Hermoso, in Colonia 16 de Octubre in the end of the 19th Century, where wheat harvested on the farms in the Colony was processed. It was since 1890 that a booming wheat industry was created in Chubut and the Welsh received important prizes at an international level for its quality. Typical Argentine political mistakes made this region be declared unsuitable for wheat growing, the limit from the Colorado River to the South, thus eliminating the agricultural financial assistance which was granted at that time, favouring the north of the country. Since then they have taken up the cattle activity. The mill that is a museum nowadays belongs to the Evans Welsh family, being Mr. Thomas Dalar Evans the one who populated the whole valley in 1890. We can see musical instruments of those days, as well as sewing machines, irons, even carriages used for the wheat harvest. This is situated in Trevelin, whose translation means Pueblo del Molino (Mill´s town) where Cwm Hyfryd (Valle Hermoso – Beautiful Valley) is located surrounded by mounts and with an unaltered ecosystem. To end up the circuit, we will go to the salmon station at the Baguilt Stream, only 20km away from Trevelin, where they breed young fish, with big pans with near 200,000 Brown Rainbow trouts which are then spread in lakes and rivers in Chubut so as to make trout sport fishing (catch is returned), a sustainable resource. If you want to see other excursion options in Esquel, click here: Tours in Esquel.

Day 4 - Parallel 42º Andean Shire (Comarca Andina del Paralelo 42º)

We begin a full day excursion visiting the mountain range towns that form the Parallel 42 Comarca, interprovince boundary between Río Negro and Chubut provinces. This region is characterized by the cultivation of fine fruit and hop which is used to flavour handcraft brewed beer produced in El Bolsón. There is a special micro-climate in this region due to the fact that the valley is 200 meters over sea level and it is not attacked by the strong winds of the rough Patagonia, creating an ideal climate with fertile lands, where redcurrants, morello cherries, maroons, blueberries, apart from strawberries and raspberries are produced. During our itinerary, we will visit the Lago Puelo National Park,  Epuyén, El Hoyo and El Bolsón. The first stop is at the Leleque Museum, on the Benetton Estancias (ranches), which shows the history of the Tehuelche natives who originally inhabited these lands and were fiercely dislodged by the Mapuche natives who entered the country through Chile. Then comes Epuyén, the capital of fine fruit, then we visit El Hoyo and Golondrinas. Later, in the province of Río Negro, we come to know El Bolsón, and we stop at the craftmen fair where the stalls display woollen, carved wooden and ceramic goods and more. Beer is very special, thanks to the hops, you can try different flavours, stout, made of wheat, with honey or fruity. We also visit the Loma del Medio and the Mirador Río Azul.

During the afternoon we go to the Bus Station to take the bus to the city of San Carlos de Bariloche. Reception at the Bus Station and transfer to hotel.

Day 5 - & Campanario Mount through Bustillo Ave - Visit to Victoria Island & Arrayanes Forest

Breakfast at the hotel. We set off towards the Llao Llao Hotel, discovering one of the most classic routes of San Carlos de Bariloche. We start in the center of the city to the west along Bustillo Ave. winding along the Nahuel Huapi Lake most of the time. Near km 8 is Playa Bonita (Pretty Beach) which is the precise place from where to see Huemul Island. Going on along that avenue, at km 17, we stop to know the Campanario Mount, we climb by chairlift which take us to the summit at 1050 meters (optional).

We can try very good pastrymaking and drink hot chocolate (optional). Once at the summit, we will appreciate the probably best sight of all the zone of Bariloche. We continue so as to reach Llao Llao at km 25, leaving behind the San Pedro peninsula. The San Eduardo church and the Puerto Pañuelo (harbour) are located in the zone of the hotel and it is from there that the navigation to the Arrayanes Forest (myrtle forest) and Puerto Blest sets off. From this place you can see the Lopez and Capilla Mounts. We go towards the golf area and the bridge that links the Moreno Lake to the Nahuel Huapi Lake at Lopez Bay. There is another privileged place from where to enjoy the Llao Llao peninsula and the lakes around it. We cross the bridge over Moreno Lake and go along the edge of El Trébol Lake. Further on we start our return to Bariloche city where our trip ends.

Note: This program can be done early in the morning or after midday. The ascent to Campanario Mount is not included, having to be purchased upon arrival.

We go to Pañuelo harbour to embark towards the island. We set off to navigate almost half an hour some 10km up to Puerto Anchorena (Anchorena harbour) on Victoria Island. We will trek around the island visiting

the ancient coniferous nursery. The Cerro Bella Vista can be climbed to the top by chairlift. A small path covered with autochthonous Coihues and Cypresses is crossed. Then we return from the mount enjoying impressive natural lookout points. We continue our tour embarking again to arrive at Puerto Quetrihué at the Quetrihué peninsula, to discover the legendary Arrayanes Forest ( myrtle forest) in the Valdivian jungle, inside Los Arrayanes National Park.

It is a natural reserve of almost 2.000 hectares located in a Patagonic Andean forest. The climate is cold and damp due to the influence of the lakes and there are also Western winds. We can find Coihues, Ñires, Cypresses, Radales and Notros apart from the southern Arrayanes. There is a bush called Rosa Mosqueta which has been brought by the man and it is not autochthonous but can be easily found in the area. The Arrayan is a unique tree, whose bark is cold, smooth and cinnamon-coloured. Its flowers are similar to the lemon or orange blossoms, white-coloured and violet fruit. This forest is an intangible surface and natural monument. If you want to see other excursion options in Bariloche, click here: Tours in Bariloche.

Day 6 - Mount Tronador

We start the day travelling along the Pampa de Huenuleu arriving at Gutiérrez Lake. Later we go along the East bank of the Mascardi Lake until the track splits in two, having to turn right into the dirt path which leads us to the Cerro Tronador (Tronador Mount). The bridge over the Manso River is crossed and we go along the West bank of the Mascardi Lake arriving at Pampa Linda. We go through the Vuriloches valley and after crossing a forest, we find the Ventisquero Negro. The trip ends at the foot of the mount. The tongue of the glacier can be reached by trekking. The Ventisquero Negro is a black glacier originated at the summit of Cerro Tronador. Here is where the Manso River has its source and flows down into the Pacific Ocean. The Cerro Tronador has three important peaks. The International peak with 3.555 meters, the Chilean peak with 3.430 meters and the Argentine peak with 3,400 meters, climbers have reached the top of the three of them in Summer.

Limited by narrow and winding roads Schedule: Due to the characteristic of the roads leading to the Black Glacier and Los Alerces waterfall as it is narrow paths, with important cliffs, you can not move all day. There are times income: The Cascada Los Alerces from 8:00 AM to 10:15 PM. It should be down between 11:15 am and 13:00 PM. The Tronador and Lake Steffen is entered later from 10:30 AM to 14:00 PM. It should start from 16:00 PM to 18:00 PM.

Day 7 - Return to Buenos Aires

Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to San Carlos de Bariloche Airport. End of our services.