Lago Rivadavia
Three days at the end of February 2020, driving south from Bariloche through El Bolsón — a really scenic route — to camp on the northern edge of Lago Rivadavia. Everything rode in the back of a truck and arrived covered in dirt. We hiked Cerro Alto El Petiso, grilled and kayaked on the lake, and on the last day pushed on through Parque Nacional Los Alerces to Esquel for lunch before the long drive back to Bariloche. The whole area sits next to the Welsh settlement in the Andes, and there are proper teahouses around. We sadly did not make it to Trevelin, the heart of that community.
- Other
Bariloche
Visited: Feb 27, 2020
Arrival notes: We left Bariloche in a truck, everything piled in the back, heading south on the Andean road.
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The start of a three-day loop, not a stay. From here the road drops toward El Bolsón and then into Chubut — lakes, forest, and dust.
- Attraction
El Bolsón
Visited: Feb 27, 2020
How I got there: Car — The scenic drive south from Bariloche on RN40 / the Andean corridor. We crossed through town on the way to the lake.
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The midpoint of a really scenic route — hops, mountains, and the last proper town before the lakes. The truck bed collected the whole road: by the time we reached Rivadavia, every bag was covered in dirt.
- Lodging
Lago Rivadavia — north shore camp
Visited: Feb 27, 2020
How I got there: Car — Drove on from El Bolsón to the northern edge of the lake, inside the approach to Parque Nacional Los Alerces.
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We camped at the northern edge of Lago Rivadavia — a quiet, cold-water lake under the Andes. Three nights’ worth of gear out of a filthy truck, then fire, water, and the kind of silence you come south for.
- Recreational
Cerro Alto El Petiso
Visited: Feb 28, 2020
How I got there: Walk — Hike from the Lago Verde / Puerto Mermoud side — a long, steep day. Register with the guardaparques.
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An amazing hike with very rewarding sights — forest, a creek bed, then a summit plateau over the lakes. Somewhere along the way I remember a millenary alerce, a lahuan standing in the Valdivian woods. Worth the tired legs.
- Recreational
Kayak and asado on Lago Rivadavia
Visited: Feb 28, 2020
How I got there: Other — From camp, onto the water and back to the fire.
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The lake day: kayaks on the cold water and a grill on the shore. After Petiso this is the right pace — swim if you dare, eat meat, watch the light move across the cordillera.
- Attraction
Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Visited: Feb 29, 2020
How I got there: Car — On the last day we drove further south along RP71 through the park — Rivadavia, Verde, Futalaufquen.
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Incredibly beautiful. The park is more than the lake we camped on: arrayanes, hanging valleys, and the ice-field country opening as you keep south. Give the drive time — it is the point, not a transfer.
- Restaurant
Esquel
Visited: Feb 29, 2020
How I got there: Car — Kept going south out of the park to Esquel, had lunch, then the long drive back to Bariloche.
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Lunch in Esquel after the park, then the whole way home to Bariloche in one go. The town sits on the edge of the Welsh Andes — there are nice casas de té around. A proper Patagonian day of sitting in a truck and watching the mountains change. If you can spare the detour, Trevelin is only a short hop further.
- Attraction
Trevelin
How I got there: Car — We did not go. From Esquel it is a short drive west toward the Andes — twenty minutes, if that.
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We sadly did not go. Trevelin — Trefelin, the mill town — is the heart of the Welsh community this close to the Andes, a few kilometres from Esquel. Casas de té, bara brith, and a different Patagonia. If you have even two extra hours after lunch in Esquel, go.
Route summary: Bariloche → El Bolsón → Lago Rivadavia — north shore camp → Cerro Alto El Petiso → Kayak and asado on Lago Rivadavia → Parque Nacional Los Alerces → Esquel → Trevelin