Nahuel Huapi National Park



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.

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.



Mid-range

 * Edelweiss Hotel +54 2944 445500, Av. San Martin 536.
 * Nido del Condor, +54-11-4315-3305, Av. Bustillo Km. 6.9

Splurge

 * 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.
 * 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.

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!