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Michelle Sole, a former safari guide for Marataba Safari Lodge, is spending a year traveling the world and sharing her experiences with us. Today we’re hiking in Bariloche in Argentina. To read more of her travels, click here.
Famous throughout South America for its skiing in the winter, Bariloche is a hiker’s paradise for the rest of the year. Surrounded by the dramatic Patagonian landscapes found on the cover of a National Geographic magazine, with a myriad of lakes and imposing mountains, Bariloche is everything it’s promised to be and more.
Plus, the main street of the town is lined with chocolatiers; good luck to anyone who tries to walk down this street without indulging! My top pick is the dark chocolate and pistachio at Mamusas.
The greatest highlights of Bariloche in the summer are numerous walking trails on offer, ranging from an hour jaunt to several days’ treks. One popular hike is to Refugio Frey with views across the mountains and lagoons. Most avid hikers complete this circuit by staying in a simple refugio, but we recommend taking the chairlift up or down to complete it in a single day.
A shorter hike is the 45-minute ascent of Campanario. Again, if you are not feeling up to the hike you can take the chairlift up and down. The peak offers 360-degree views of lakes and jagged mountains that will take your breath away. There are also always short, leisurely hikes around the beauty of Llao Llao, an area surrounded by lakes and various viewpoints that look over the water.
For two-wheeling sojourners, we recommend embarking on a guided mountain bike excursion along the 17-mile Chico circuit. Don’t be fooled by how flat this looks on the tourist map. It involves plenty of ups and downs but can comfortably be done in 4 hours. There are several look outs along the way and plenty of places to stop for a picnic. The feeling of cycling along the base of these steep cliffs, eerie mountains and sparkling lakes cannot be described; it has to be experienced firsthand.
I really enjoyed everything Bariloche had to offer. My only regret is not having enough time to explore more of the hiking trails here.
Mountains, lakes, adventure, outdoors and chocolate would be my choice words if I had to sum Bariloche up in five words.
Follow in Michelle’s footsteps with an adventure hiking in Bariloche. Contact your Luxury Travel Consultant to get started.
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