Bariloche Department: Nature, Trails and Excursions

In the Bariloche Department, excursion options range from short walks and viewpoints to multi-day Andean hikes. Mountain biking trails, river activities and regional culture are also among the options described.

Nature and activities in Nahuel Huapi National Park

Nahuel Huapi National Park offers visitors mountaineering, boat trips, hiking, camping, horseback riding and rafting. Its administrative headquarters are in San Carlos de Bariloche. The range of activities therefore extends from trips on the water to tours on foot or horseback. Those looking for a challenging multi-day hike can take the Travesía de los Cuatro Refugios, a highly difficult Andean trek that takes four to five days.

The activities at Cerro Catedral also cater to different interests, without suggesting that the trails are all alike: the Bike Park offers forest trails, downhill runs with varying technical difficulty, and a 4X track for mountain biking. The different types of trails help you plan your ride around the level of technical challenge you want.

Excursion routes, lakes and viewpoints

The Circuito Chico is Bariloche’s traditional excursion route, linking the city, forests, lakes and mountains in one landscape. At kilometer 30, a road branches off toward Villa Tacul on Llao Llao Bay and continues in the direction of Lago Escondido. This route lets you take in a variety of landscapes, while Villa Tacul and Lago Escondido remain destinations in their own right.

Colonia Suiza is also on the Circuito Chico. There, visitors can visit farms and campgrounds and enjoy tea. The route also features teahouses, restaurants, grill restaurants and beer bars serving regional cuisine, as well as shops selling local handicrafts. If you’d like to complement the drive with regional experiences, you can consider these options when choosing where to stop, rather than limiting the excursion to viewpoints alone.

At the summit of Cerro Campanario, there is a viewpoint and a café, with panoramic views from there. The beaches of Villa Tacul are suitable for diving. Cerro Otto’s summit is at an elevation of 1,400 meters above sea level. From there, a trail leads through a lenga forest to Piedra de Habsburgo and back along the same path. These destinations offer different ways to enjoy the outdoors: a viewpoint, a forest trail or an activity on the water.

Hikes and trails with varying levels of difficulty

For a shorter walk, a trail leads to Puente Romano, an old stone bridge built by the national parks authority in 1937. The Cerrito Llao Llao–Villa Tacul hike is easy and takes between 50 minutes and 1 hour 20 minutes, depending on the section and starting point. The hike at Bahía López is also considered easy and takes about 1.5 hours. Take the different timings and starting points into account when planning your day.

Another option is the trail to Lago Escondido through Bosque de Coihues. The lake’s water is considered pleasantly warm in summer. Trekking routes in the protected natural area around Río Azul and Lago Escondido pass through lenga, coihue, ñire and Andean cypress forests, as well as Valdivian and high-Andean landscapes. The area has a network of 13 interconnected mountain huts.

One specific hike to a mountain hut is the trail to Refugio del Encanto Blanco: it takes about three hours, follows a moderately difficult to somewhat challenging path, crosses a wooden suspension bridge and follows the Río Blanco. When choosing a hike, you can distinguish easy trails from longer or more challenging outings, rather than deciding based only on the destination’s name.

Around El Bolsón: culture, cycling routes and river activities

The El Bolsón Valley brings together ecological agriculture, handicrafts, the production of sweets and beer, and tourism. The Feria Regional Artesanal de El Bolsón is a cultural and productive tradition dating back to the 1970s. Alongside nature excursions, these features give the valley its own cultural and artisanal character.

The Circuito de Mallín Ahogado is about 25 kilometers long and can be traveled by car or bicycle. The Camino de los Nogales is a 10-kilometer route through an agricultural area that can be covered by car, bicycle or on foot. This road leads to Rinconada de Nahuelpan on the slope of Cerro Piltriquitrón. There you’ll find Cascada de Nahuelpan and opportunities for horseback riding. The distances and travel options can help you choose between these two routes according to how you’d like to get around.

Rafting, canyoning, camping and hiking are possible on the Circuito Río Azul. A viewpoint on the Río Azul offers views of the clear, meandering river and its valley all the way to Lago Puelo, with Cerro Tres Picos in the background. If you’d rather plan river activities than focus solely on hiking, you can make these offerings the focus of your visit. During the summer season, Cerro Perito Moreno offers walks, a climbing and adventure park, horseback riding, snow activities and local mountain cuisine. Bosque Tallado can be reached after about an hour on foot and features 60 sculptures by artists from around the world.

For the broader travel overview: Río Negro.