Argentina: An escape to Patagonia

We had vacation plans for May 2020 that were suspended for obvious reasons. We spent the rest of the year within the confines of a 10-kilometer radius from our home until December when we were allowed to circulate within the province of Cordoba. The year 2021 did not magically bring an end to the pandemic, but it did open up interprovincial travel within Argentina. So, we used Emi's 2020 vacation days in April 2021, swapped air travel for a road trip, and headed south to Patagonia.

Imagine driving the distance from Texas to Chicago, but then replace the geography of northern Illinois with that of Montana. We drove that distance in two days across the provinces of Cordoba, San Luis, La Pampa, Neuquén, to finally stop at our destination in Río Negro. Surrounded by mountains, lakes, and many trees I had never seen before including the Arrayán and Peuhuen (also known as the monkey tail tree and also my new favorite), we climbed to all the peaks we could, took in all the sights, and enjoyed the local gastronomy. The complete photographical collection from our trip can be seen by clicking this link. Here's a recap of our itinerary:

Day 1: Drive 14.5 hours from Cordoba to Neuquén.

• 5 a.m. wake-up call. Cooler packed with PB&J sandwiches, 2008 iPod loaded and charged, one thermos full of hot water for mate and another full of hot coffee. There was hardly any traffic or sign of human life for that matter at certain points of the trek. We ran into a good rainstorm as we entered the province of Neuquén and made it to our resting place for the night around 8 p.m.

Day 2: Drive 5-6 hours from Neuquén to Bariloche, Río Negro.

• Hello oil rigs, fall colors, and rolling hills that transform into mountains. 

Day 3: Celebrate Easter in Bariloche.

• We arrived just in time for the National Chocolate Festival, and the downtown streets were decorated with colorful Easter Egg and Easter Bunny statues. We thoroughly enjoyed a fondue lunch after mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi. It was my first time seeing (or noticing, perhaps) stained glass windows of historical political figures in a cathedral.

Day 4: Hike Cerro Otto.

• There's a cable car and funicular that can take you up and down. We opted to hike up and take the cable car down, but if I had to do it again I would hike both ways. At the top, we enjoyed a coffee and snack break in a restaurant that rotates as you eat, giving you a different view every few seconds. 

Day 5: Drive Circuito Chico; Hike Cerro Campanario.

• After a failed attempt to get a table at the famous Patagonia brewery (reservation only-we should have known), we drove around the peninsula on the route known as Circuito Chico. Along the drive, we stopped at the base of Cerro Campanario which has a chair lift for "easy" access to the summit, but since some of us prefer to have both feet on the ground, we hiked this one both ways. The summit gifted us with stunning views of the surrounding lakes and mountains and even a surprise rainbow.

Day 6: Bosque de Arrayanes and Isla Victoria.

• We took a boat ride to Victoria Island and the Forest of Arrayán trees. These trees apparently grow as bushes elsewhere in the world, and only here do they grow tall enough to be considered trees. Their bark is a pretty cinnamon color and it's also cold to the touch.
• Victoria Island is covered in pine trees thanks to the European settlers who planted them many years ago. Pine trees are pretty, but they are not native and are actually quite invasive on this island, so there are current efforts to restore native species.

Day 7: Llao Llao Tea Time.

• This was a cold, rainy day, but that did not damper our spirits as we had a reservation for afternoon tea at the renowned Llao Llao Resort. We had heard lots of hype about their afternoon tea, and after trying it for ourselves, we can safely say it was worth every peso. Hands down, they serve the best cup of coffee in all of Argentina (of those I've tried so far, of course).

Day 8: Los Alerces Waterfall and Cerro Tronador.

• We were greeted by snow-capped peaks as we started our drive to Cerro Tronador before sunrise. Most of the way was slow-going on a gravel road. At times we had to stop and wait for cows and horses. Cerro Tronador is the tallest mountain in this area of Patagonia, and its name comes from the thunderous sound of its glaciers breaking off into the lakes below. We didn't hear this sound, but we did enjoy the bright blue hues of glacial water.

Day 9: Drive to El Bolsón & Lago Puelo, Chubut.

• We headed further south and added another Argentinian province visited to both of our lists. One thing we noticed on our drive was the number of marked vehicles claiming they are driving from "Argentina to Alaska." We wonder how many actually make it the whole way. We perused the market at the center square of the hippie town of El Bolsón, then decided to head up to a lookout spot in the nearby mountains where we encountered a wooden sculpture garden and spectacular views.

Day 10: Drive the Famous 7 Lake Road.

• This is a drive between the towns of Villa La Angostura and San Martin de los Andes that passes by seven different lakes with views galore. We had afternoon coffee at what claims to be the oldest teahouse in Patagonia in San Martin de los Andes before heading back to Bariloche for the evening.

Day 11: Hike to Lago Gutiérrez Lookout and visit Cerro Catedral.

• A beautiful day for another hike, followed by a visit to the famous Cerro Catedral ski area. Since we were visiting in the off season, there was no hitting the slopes. However, it looks like a fantastic place to come back to in the winter. Just saying.

Day 12: Hike Cerro Llao Llao and visit Patagonia Brewery.

• This time we succeeded in getting a table at the brewery as we made a reservation the second we were turned away the first time. Before we spent the afternoon sipping on brews, however, we had to work up an appetite by hiking Cerro Llao Llao. It was cloudy the entire way up, and then the wind magically sent the clouds away as we reached the top, showing us the majesty of the surrounding lakes and mountains.

Day 13: Prep for the Trip Home.

• There's an ongoing debate about who sells the best chocolate in Bariloche. We were unable to determine a winner ourselves, as all the chocolate was good. We picked up a few chocolate souvenirs to bring back as gifts after enjoying breakfast at Mamuschka, one of the front-runners in the Best Chocolate Contest. An afternoon attempt to fill the car with gas turned into a surprise hours-long adventure as we learned about a gas shortage due to issues in the province of Neuquén. That led to us researching alternate routes for the following morning which would avoid the province entirely.

Day 14: Drive 12 hours from Bariloche to Victorica, La Pampa.

• We ended up going with our originally planned route through Neuquén despite knowing there were blocked highways and gas shortages along the way. Doctors in the province were on strike and blocked semi-trucks from passing through certain towns due to their strategically-placed pickets. We had to take a few detours and wait in line for gas for 30-45 minutes, but we made it to our destination for the night after all was said and done.

Day 15: Drive 7 hours from Victorica to Cordoba.

• We made it back to "summer" weather and humidity despite the calendar claiming it is fall and realized how spoiled we had been during the previous two weeks. Lots of laundry followed, and it was done with happy hearts.