CIRCUITO GRANDE "Grand Circuit"

All the lanscapes in one day

 

Circuito Grande is a great option if you're looking for the best viewing points and lanscapes representatives of Patagonia's geography and vegetation.

Taking route N°237 up north, you will skirt lake Nahuel Huapi to the east, crossing over Limay river and entering to the province of Neuquen.
As far as you travel, you will be admire by the beauty of the steppe flora combined with some green Cipres trees and the turquoise water of Limay river, along the valley.
As if this was not enough, you will suddenly be amazed by some of the most rare and outstanding rock figures pointing out of the landscape. Some of these rocks have come to be known as Dedo de dios "God's Finger", Sentinela "Sentry", Tren Expreso "Express Train" and Los SIameses "The Siameses" among others. This such unique places is called Valle Enacantado or "Enchanted Valley".

After stopping at many viewing point you just can't pass by, you will get to "Confluencia". In this point, the river Traful flows it's water into Limay river. From here, you'll take a gravel road to the west, observing wild animals, such as Condor (biggest bird in South America), Huanacos, and more.
In this valley following up Traful river, you will feel like a cowboy in a western movie!

The first town you will get to is Villa Traful. This small villa was founded in 1936 under the command of the Nahuel Huapi National Park administration, authorizing the sale of lands to build houses and buildings such as the first public school and the chapel, still standing.

  

 

The trip doesn't end here. Further on, you'll continue travelling through the dirt road N°65 heading west. Here you'll start visualizing some changes through the window. The vegetation starts getting greener and more trees start to show up as you travel within a transition zone from steppe to forest.

Once you are totally surrounded by forest, a paved road will suddendly show up. This is the famouse road N°40, which you travel along during the Seven Lakes tour. You will now take this road down south (according to the Circuit Grande design) and will see lakes Espejo Chico, Espejo, Correntoso and Nahuel Huapi once again, besides lake Traful, seen before on the way.

A stop is required at Villa la Angostura, not only to visit this marvelous city, but also to have lunch!
It is a "most do" to visit during this tour, the chaple "Nuestra Señora de la Asucion", designed by Alejandro Bustillo, same arquitect that designed the LLao Llao Hotel, San Eduardo chapel, the Civic Center and the Cathedral in Bariloche among others.
Also, visit the port, the Brava and Mansa beaches, and the downtown.

Villa la Angostura is known as the "Garden of Patagonia" due to its Fiesta de los Jardines or "Garden Festival" and the very taken care of parks, boulevards and gardens full of colourful flowers mostly all year long.

From this point, you will start the journey back to Bariloche, skirt the lake Nahuel Huapi all the way, getting some of the best views of Bariloche from the front shore of the lake!

This is in my opinion a tour you can't miss to get to know about history, aborigins, first Americans and Europeans that settled in the area, vegetation types, and more. Ideal to discover Patagonia!

Outing: During spring, summer and autumn every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
               During winter, according to weather and road conditions.
               Possible any day with a private service. Ask for it!

Pick up time: 8.30am to 6.30pm (Full day)

What are you waiting for? Get in contact with me right away to hire this and many other tour options to enjoy your visit to Bariloche! E-mail me to ventas@barilocheselect.com.ar or visit me at Bariloche Select Travel, located on Villegas St. 237 (downtown).

NAHUEL HUAPI NATIONAL PARK

The oldest National Park in Argentina

It is the largest of the National Parks in the area, covering 705,000 hectares, and also the first one. It was created in 1934, after the land donation made in 1903 by Perito Francisco P. Moreno. This changed forever the vision of the people that lived in the area, changing the history of Bariloche and tourning it into one of the most visited cities in Argentina.

Perito Francisco Pascacio Moreno's monument, located at the center or Moreno square. Entrance to Bariloche.

The Park shelters an ecological nucleus that is incredibly valuable. Its landscapes are sublime and absolutely representative of the north Patagonian Andean zone. 
This nucleus is subdivided into three types: Altoandino (above 1600 m. high, with eternal snows), visible if you visit Mt. Tronador; the Andino-Patagónico (in the lower parts of the mountains) if you travel to Bolson or to San Martin and finally the Patagonian steppe, which you will discover during the trip through Circuito Grande.

Vegetation according to altitute.

Altoandino flora visible during summer after snow melts.

Lenga forest during Fall season. This is the highest tree that grows up in the mountains.

Andenean (Andino-Patagonico) forest, skirting lakes and rivers.

Ecotone vegtation from west to east, as the andes block the rain clouds form the Pacific Ocean.

Steppe flora and and Guanacos. The most arid vegetation in Patagonia.

There are many lakes spread across the woods and mountains in the Park. The most important one (Nahuel Huapi, 650 square kilometers surface and 454 meters deep), gives its name to the National Park. Other lakes nearby Bariloche are Traful, Mascardi, Gutiérrez and Guillelmo.

You are able to navigate lake Nahuel Huapi whether if you take the tour to Victoria Island and Arrayanes forest or to Port Blest.

Among the typical fauna species you can find the hullin, a carnivore mink that has its perfect habitat within the Park and Huemul (a sort of native deer) almost imposible to come across with.

Huillin

Huemul

As for flora, the extensive woods are populated with trees like lengas, coihues and ñires, and flowers like notros, (red colored), mutisias and the amancay, with its typical yellow flowers. During spring, this wood offers the most colorful landscapes of Argentina.

Amancay blooming during late January (summer), Turns the Lengas forest ground into an outstanding yellow color.

In this National Park, you may see from arid steppe vegetation to the most humid point of Argentina. I'm speaking of Puerto Blest area. Here, near the border with Chile, there is a zone where rainfall largely exceeds the average and the vegetation is a typical sample of the Valdivian rain forest, in this trans-Andean country.

Nahuel Huapi National Park map.

I hope you come visit this magnificent Park and enjoy all the adventure activities you can do within it such as trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, skiing and more, or just gaze at the most beautiful patagonian landscapes while you go hiking, fly fishing or bird watching.

You choose!


 

HORSEBACK-RIDING AT ESTANCIA BAQUEANOS

Enjoy a Gaucho style day...

  This is, in my opinion, one of the best options to enjoy nature in Patagonia, sharing your day with real Gauchos and getting amazed by the beauty of the Andenean forest. 

The journey starts once you get picked up at your hotel. You will first enjoy the trip to Estancia Baqueanos, right at the very south shore of Lake Guiterrez, 30 minutes away from Bariloche.
Once you get there, You will be welcomed by the gauchos and guides with a breakfast before starting the first 2 hours horse ride.

After the great adventure of riding through the forest, over streams and at the lake coast, you will return to enjoy a delicious asado with appetizers, main dish, dessert and drinks included.

After this and relaxing a bit, If you've choosen the full day option, you will set off with the horses once again for two more hours, into a different adventure area.

Outings: Daily. Full day / Half day.

Time with transfer pick up:

Full day: 09.30am to 06.00pm (4 hours riding)

Half day: 12.30pm to 06.00pm (2 hours riding)

Important: take comfortable clothing and footwear

What are you waiting for? Get in contact with me right away to hire this and many other tour options to enjoy your visit to Bariloche! E-mail me to ventas@barilocheselect.com.ar or visit me at Bariloche Select Travel, located on Villegas St. 237 (downtown).