Nahuel Huapi National Park

Lago Nahuel Huapi

Nahuel Huapi National Park is in the provinces of Neuquen and Rio Negro, in Patagonia, in the foothills of the Andes mountains.

Understand

Nahuel Huapi National Park is in San Carlos de Bariloche, which is a city in Rio Negro, Argentina. Bariloche is one of those places you'll end up staying longer than you planned. Why? it's not for the city's aesthetic appeal, rather it's for the great outdoors and night life. It's the elite honeymoon capital in Argentina. It's the main hub for travelling around the Lake District, the gateway to Patagonia and chocolate capital of Argentina.

For national park information and a good collection of maps, visit Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi on the corner of San Martin and Morales.

Also Club Andino offers free maps and provide information on trekking area. They sell transfers and trekking packages and you can reserve a bunk there for most of the shelters in the nearby mountains.

History

The Nahuel Huapi National Park is the oldest of Argentina's parks and was founded in 1934.

Get in

From Buenos Aires by plane, Aerolineas Argentinas. By bus Via Bariloche and Crucero del Norte. By car see in the web Interpatagonia or Automovilclub guide.

Fees and permits

At some access points to the park you are required to pay the park entrance fee of AR$120 (March 2016). This fee is payable if going to Pampa Linda (Tronador) and if entering the park on a boat excursion; there is also an AR$37 port tax. Access to the refuges in the national park around Bariloche are free: Refugio Frey, Refugio Lopez, Refugio San Martin & Refugio Italia.

Get around

There is an excellent local public transport system from the centre of Bariloche to Llao Llao, Colonia Suiza and Cerro Catedral. There are tourist buses leaving to Pampa Linda (Tronador) on a daily basis during the summer.

See

Black Glacier

• 1 Cerro Catedral.  
• 2 Cerro Otto.  
• 3 Lago Nahuel huapi.  
• 4 Lago Moreno.  
• 5 LLao LLao.  
• 6 Bosque de Arrayanes.  
• beaches Bahia Serena. 

Do

• Rafting
• skiing in Cerro Catedral
• kayaking Pura Vida
• mountain biking
• rock-climbing
• kite surfing
• canopy
• paragliding
• golf the most well recognized one is LLao LLao
• take a ferry to Puerto Frias
• Trekking Trek Bariloche has a full list of trekking routes in the National Park

Buy

• Chocolate, the city hosts an amazing number of shops where they produce and sell all sorts of varieties of chocolate. Local fruits and licor make some of the fillings. The most renowned ones are Mamuschka, La Abuela Goye, Benroth, Fenoglio, Rapa Nui, Del Turista, Bonifacio & Tante Frida .

Eat

The area is rightly famous for its barbecued meats, Parrillas "Boliche de Alberto" fondue "La Alpina", pizza "El Mundo de la Pizza", trout and deer "familia Weiss". Palacios Street has a lot of restaurants.

Drink

"Blest" the beer. Wilkenny, Pilgrim, The map room, South bar - they are all a safe bet. Sip a little mate as well.

Sleep

Most of the cheap accommodation is in the centre of the town for more information pass by the tourist office on Centro Civico where they have a full list of budget and not so budget accommodation.

Budget

Bariloche's budget accommodation quickly gets fully booked, so make your reservations in advance, particularly during high season.

• La Justina, Quaglia 726, ☏ +54 294 464-2274. A few blocks from the city center. Big, spacious rooms, cozy common spaces for relaxing,watching TV or DVDs, listening to music or playing games. Free internet and breakfast, a well stocked kitchen, and very friendly owners. They can help you with any tourist info you need, and rent bikes. Minihostels.com members get 10% off. 
• Periko's, Morales 555, ☏ +54 2644-522326. Named after the owner's dog. 
• Penthouse 1004, Edificio Bariloche Centre 10th floor, ☏ +54 2944 432228, penthouse1004@yahoo.com.ar. Offers an amazing panoramic view. Excellent public areas, especially the kitchen. Free breakfast, wi-fi internet and has a computer for use but it is very busy and hard to get access to. Won't make reservations if you are arriving after 14:00. Dorms from AR$35. 
• Hostel Refugio Patagonia, Mitre 1338, ☏ +54 2944 422539. Feel at home with Tato and Sandra, they're building a big "quincho"/barbecue saloon. 
• Marcopoloinn Hostel, Salta 422, ☏ +54 2944 400105, info@marcopoloinn.com.ar. Modern, clean hostel. Free breakfast and dinner, fast internet, WiFi. Lots of party folk. Easily the best value in town. Dorms from AR$55 (HI members), AR$60 (non-members). 
• Tango Inn Downtown Hostel, Salta 514, ☏ +54 2944 400004, info@tangoinnhostels.com. Modern, clean hostel. Dorms from AR$37 (YHA members), AR$40 (non-members). Fast internet, WiFi. Free breakfast buffet. Very quiet. 
• Ruca Hueney Youth Hostel, Elflein 396, ☏ +54 2944 433986, +54 2944 437026, rucahueneyhostelclub@speedy.com.ar. Free breakfast, internet. Dorms from AR$30. 
• Alaska Hostel, Av. Bustillo 7500, ☏ +54 2944 461564, info@alaska-hostel.com. 

Mid-range

• Edelweiss Hotel +54 2944 445500, Av. San Martin 536.
• Nido del Condor, +54-11-4315-3305, Av. Bustillo Km. 6.9
• Cabañas La Farola, ☏ +54 9 294 451-7618. 
• Grand Hotel Bariloche, ☏ +54 2944 430622. Grand Hotel Bariloche is a 9-storey hotel (3,000 m²), which is at the main street in San Carlos de Bariloche. At half way in the commercial route of Mitre avenue and 100 m from the Nahuel Huapi lake. They offer 75 rooms organized in singles, doubles, triples and apartments. Mitre 408 - (8400) S.C. de Bariloche. From US$37. 
• Aconcagua Hotel, 289, San Martín Avenue, San Carlos de Bariloche, ☏ +54 2944 424718. Aconcagua Hotel is along San Martín Avenue. It is near the Civic Center, Lake Nahuel Huapi, and casino. 32 rooms. Each accommodation is equipped with a central heater, TV, Internet access, and toilet & bath with shower. From US$53. 

Splurge

• Galileo Boutique Hotel, Av. Antartida Argentina, s/n, Base Cerro Catedral, San Carlos de Bariloche, C.P. 8400, ☏ +54 2944 460-388. Along the base of Cerro Catedral. 
• Hotel Llao Llao - Beautiful alpine style hotel, built in 1939, adds to the dramatic backdrop of the mountains. A classic resort: there's a golf course, boating, and much for the wealthy to see and do. Nightly rates were around US$300 back in Dec 2004, so the AR$8 coffee might be the way to go in order to enjoy the view, the ambiance, etc., without paying an arm/leg to stay there overnight. Excellent service, slightly OTT decor. About 25 km from the city centre and about 35 km from Cerro Catedral.
• Design Suites Hotel, Av. Bustillo Km.2,5 8400. Modern hotel (not all suite as the name might imply), with all the benefits (Spacious rooms, Free Wifi, Stunning Panorama Views, clever design touches) and drawbacks (Awful restaurant, no room service, staff not trained to deliver 5-star service) you expect from a boutique hotel. The suites themselves are not traditional suites, rather larger rooms with a couch and a balcony. 3 km from the city center. Best rates on official website start at US$130. 

Camping

Camping in the National Park is permitted in the designated areas. There are free wilderness camp sites and paid sites with facilities.

Stay safe

If you go trekking you are required to register your intentions with the National Park, do so at their Information Centre (San Martin 24) or

Go next

• Villa la Angostura - A small town about an hours drive from Bariloche, very picturesque, you can also hike a 12 km trail to the famous Bosque Arrayanes.
• El Bolson - A small hippie town (founded in the 1970s) in a mountainous valley about 120 km/75 mi south of Bariloche. There's a twice weekly outdoor flea market (get there in the morning, it closes down around 3pm). Lunch at "Las Brasas" parrilla is recommended. Transportation on the El Valle bus line is AR$24 round trip from Bariloche and is worth it for the scenery alone!
• Catedral Alta Patagonia - One of Argentina's largest and best known ski resorts with dramatic mountain scenery, a short drive from Bariloche