View from the top

Rising above the town is the mountain of Cerro Otto. This is one of the main ski resorts of Bariloche and the summit is reached by a shiny red cable car. Out of season it’s a pricy touristy trip to the top, but worth it as the views were amazing. We ascended in the morning when the lake and town were hidden beneath a veil of fog.

Lago Nahuel Huapi somewhere under the blanket of fog.

As the sun rose the burned away and the lake slowly revealed itself and we could see for miles. Islands and inlets, snow topped mountains, villages and boats were all in our view. It was simply stunning.

The lake view revealed.

As well as the teleferico Cerro Otto is famous for its revolving restaurant which we had to try, if only for the novelty value. The lunch was nothing special but the views as we slowly turned 360 degrees were fantastic and made for a memorable experience.

Inside the revolving restaurant. It did move very slowly, took about 20 mins to go full circle.

The views on our descent back to Bariloche.

Climb to Cerro Catedral

Cerro Catedral is one of the larger hills overlooking Bariloche. The steep walk to the top is popular with both hikers and climbers hoping to scale the cathedral like peak.

We took a taxi for 40 minutes to the start of the walk, the empty ski resort of the same name. Following the signs for Refugio Frey, the climbers hut at the summit, we walked in the hot sun through woodland at the foot of the hills.

The path began to rise and we followed Lago Guitierez to our left as the trail got rockier.

After a few hours it turned sharply into a forest as we followed a stream, crossing over many bridges as the path got steeper and steeper.

We stopped to rest for a while at a small Refugio almost hidden under a huge boulder in the forest before making the final push to the summit.

Unfortunately the last few km’s were non stop climbing, much harder than the hikes we did in Torres del Paine. The sun was getting hotter, our packs heavier and are legs more tired with each step. Fortunately the scenery was stunning enough to distract us from the gruelling hike every time we stopped to catch our breath.

The trees around us and in the curved bowls of the surrounding mountains were on fire with colour. Vivid reds and orange leaves contrasted beautifully against the jagged grey rocks that crested the mountains.

Once we cleared the tree line Refugio Frey finally came into view and after four hours we knew we were almost there. We celebrated with an expensive yet oh so delicious can of ice cold coke from the Refugio tuck shop and ate our lunch by the lake Toncek at the top. Whilst we savoured the view we watched a group of climbers scale the peak of the Catedral, awestruck at their guts and skill.

The welcoming sight of Refugio Frey and lake Toncek.

Climbers looking teeny tiny as they scale Cerro Catedral.

Our lovely lakeside lunch.

Coming back down was just as tough, the steep path jarring our knees with every step. We passed a large group of children making the climb who looked just as tired as we were under the weight of their backpacks that seemed to swamp their tiny frames. Offering them encouragement we continued our descent, passing the small Refugio again in the forest.

The steep descent, still beautiful.

The park ranger in town recommended a different route back, following Lago Guitierez, and as it was such a lovely day we decided to follow her suggestion. After an hour we really wished we hadn’t! The return route was meant to provide a view of the lake and be only slightly further than returning the way we came. Unfortunately not only could we not see the lake at all during the majority of the walk, the 4km she suggested had turned into 9km. The trail passed through grassy, rocky scrub land eventually coming into a wood as the sun began to disappear.

The point we wished we had gone the other way!

The temperature rapidly dropped as we passed through the wood eventually coming to a road beside a campsite. Cold, tired and physically exhausted we slowly trudged along the road for another 2km, passing lovely, expensive lakeside houses. Night was rapidly falling as we eventually made it to a small village and the bus stop which we were so relieved and happy to see. Just as we reached the stop a bus was pulling out and we ran towards it shouting but the driver didn’t see us so we glumly waited for the next one. Eventually one came and we made the long journey back to our hostel too tired to even eat. Fortunately we had planned a day a relaxation for the following day and that’s just what we did.

Walking in Llao Llao

In order to counteract all that tempting chocolate we were eating whilst in Bariloche major exercise was needed. Fortunately there were many lovely walks in the area.

Over the course of a weekend we took a local bus along the lake to the Llao Llao peninsula. The one hour journey in itself was lovely passing through small hamlets that line the lake, getting glimpses of the glittering water through the trees.

At the end of the bus route was a huge and glamorous hotel in the most beautiful of settings, Hotel Llao Llao. It sits by the Circuito Chico road, a popular scenic driving route and from there we started the first of our two walks on the Llao Llao peninsula.

The glamorous Hotel Llao Llao from a distance.

The lake next to the hotel.

A lovely wooden church in Llao Llao.

The first walk was a short circuit to the Arrayan forest. Leaving the road we passed through woodland filled with silvery fringes plants that grew up and over the path to create a tunnel effect. The way the sunlight lit them it felt like walking through a snowy magical forest, like something from a fairy tale. The plants looked so strange and out of place here that it took us a while to realise that they were bamboo trees, all dried up and dying.

At the end of the trail was a group of Arrayan trees giving their name to the walk. Their twisted trunks were enveloped in beautiful amber coloured bark, spotted with silver.

On the return the rain began and we spotted many mushrooms nestled on fallen tree trunks as we made our way back to the shelter of the bus back to Bariloche.

The beginning of the rain.

The next day we headed back to Llao Llao to complete the second of our walks on the peninsula. This time we climbed through the forest towards the Cerro Llao Llao. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the sky was clear and blue as we followed the path higher and higher towards the top.

Look closely and you might see a little Pigmy owl. The closest I could get with my iPhone!

From the rocky mirador we saw Lago Nahuel Huapi sparkling in the sun as we enjoyed our lunch. It was so lovely to feel the sun’s warmth after the wet week in Puerto Varas.

An hour or so later we headed back down through the beautiful forest, again to catch our bus back to Bariloche.

Chocaholics in Patagonia.

The town of Bariloche is located in an impossibly beautiful setting. Nestled on the shore of Lago Nahuel Huapi the town stretches up the hillside towards snow capped peaks. The huge lake is dotted with islands and inlets where small hamlets of pine clad houses are nestled between the trees, providing the loveliest of vistas.

The main square with its alpine style buildings.

Your typical Alpine rescue dog.

Haunting protest graffiti highlighting the people who “disappeared” under Pinochet.

It serves as the premier ski destination in South America with chair lifts snaking up the mountainsides and the chalet style buildings, snowy peaks and deep blue waters give the town the air of a European Alpine resort.

Sunset over Lago Nahuel Huapi.

A restaurant near our hostel made from cypress trees. Reminds me of Hobbiton.

Another reason for this is the tasty treat that the town is famous for. If you want to find chocolate heaven in Argentina then Bariloche is the place to come. The streets are lined with chocolate shops of all sizes, tempting you in with their delicious wares. The air even smells of chocolate! Your taste buds seem to take over your brain when in town, and not wanting to seem rude we just had to sample the varieties on offer.

The history of chocolate here is as old as the history of the first European settlers to the region in the late 19th- and early 20th- centuries. Looking for a better life they left their homes and started anew in the wilds of Patagonia. Fortunately the climate here was not too dissimilar to their home lands and with time they flourished in their new country. They brought with them their traditions which can be seen in the places names, architecture and dishes of the region. Here in Bariloche their skill in chocolate making can be traced through the Chocolate museum run by Havannah, one of the many chocolate companies in town.

Being chocoholics, we just had to visit and enjoyed the tour as much as the free tastings.

Jon very excited about our visit to the chocolate museum.

A model of a cocoa plant. We saw the real thing in the Amazon!

The Inca chocolate recipe book.

Life size animals made from 100% chocolate.

Jon enjoying the free samples…almost too much!

Wary of too much of a good thing we decided to check out the town’s other attractions, the hills and mountains so on with the hiking boots and off we went.

Some of the chocolate brands.

Mamuschka – red, Russian, matryoshka dolls logo, our favourite by far. Their truffles were amazing!

Turista – big company, like a department store. We also saw their stores in Ushuaia. Germany style with dolls dressed in lederhosen.

Rapanui – meaning Easter Island, connection with chocolate and Bariloche? No idea! Still the chocolate was nice.

Abuela Goye – means grandmother in Spanish, see cute and jolly logo. They have a rustic cafe that sells fantastic cakes too.

Giving the chocolate some love.

One of many cakes consumed during our trip!

Mountains between lakes

We left Puerto Varas in the Chilean Lake District and took a bus across the border to Bariloche in the Argentinian Lake District. This was one of the most amazing bus journeys I have ever taken. The bus first headed north to the town of Orsono then east through the national park of Puyehue.

Our luxurious bus – big reclining seats, foot rests, tea/coffee and movies. National Express get your act together!

As the bus climbed higher the forests that hugged the mountain sides became covered with snow and we journeyed through a festive winter wonderland. The views got better and better the further we climbed.

The stunning snowy winter wonderland of our journey.

We passed through Chilean customs, along with a vintage rally car tour, returned to the bus then headed off towards Argentina.

After passing through their customs the bus continued east into Argentina. The road dropped in elevation and crystal clear cobalt blue lakes bordered by conifer forests came into view. The view was simply breathtaking.

Along the route were small towns. Some were small farming villages and others were smarter ski resorts like
Villa de Angostura. Gorgeous golden pine hotels, lodges and cabañas peaked through the woods as we passed by. The crisp autumn air was changing the leaves to the colour of fire, amber and gold trees framed our view. The contrast of the bright blue lake, evergreen forest, amber leaves, silver bark and rocks was even more beautiful in the bright sunshine.

Many happy hours passed by as we reclined in our comfy seats admiring the gorgeous scenery. On the TV Avengers Assemble played, trying to distract us from the beautiful views outside. We continued to descend towards Bariloche and the landscape changed to the coarse yellow grass of the pampas, yet the snow dusted mountains were still present in the distance. Eventually the blue lake of Nahuel Huapi came into view and we reached our destination of Bariloche, eager for our next adventure.