PUERTO BLEST (BARILOCHE) AND LAGO CISNE (ESQUEL): PARADISE ON EARTH
To see the photos that illustrate this note, please click here:
http://groups.msn.com/Adictosaviajar/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_...PHOTO: The Puerto Blest hotel, in the middle of the forest and next to the lake and the Frías river. It only has 14 rooms, so be sure to make your reservations... It you book it from outside Argentina, it may be more expensive...
If you are fond of places where nature is practically untouched, don´t miss these two beautiful spots, one is near Bariloche, and the other one near Esquel, both in Argentina.
PHOTO: Puerto Blest in September
The only way to get to Puerto Blest is navigating the Nahuel Húapí Lake from Bariloche, on the Catamarans that go twice a day. There is no road to get there. Once you are there, you will only find a small hotel (14 rooms, in the middle of the forest and at the side of the lake), the National Park Ranger´s house, the Coast Guard Offices and the camping.
PHOTO: Puerto Blest in summer. You can see the hotel hidden by the forest, on the other side of the lake...
You will not find internet, nor even a public phone. In Summer the sunrise is at 5 am and the first catamaran arrives at 9 am with bunches of tourists on their way to Chile (100 to 300 passengers per trip), to continue navigating the lakes through Peulla and up to Puerto Montt in Chile. This is a beautiful tour, but rather expensive (140 US Dollars), while the navigation to Puerto Blest, including the navigtion of Lake Frías, which is about half the traject, costs only some 18 US Dollars)
PHOTO: Los Cántaros upper waterfall
So if you stay at Puerto Blest and walk along the lake side early in the morning, it is almost certain that you will not cross a single human being during your 4-mile walk to the Los Cántaros cascade, one of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen (photos above and below). You will see trout jumping out of the water, and probably some ducks having a good time.
PHOTO: Los Cántaros lower waterfall
You can also fish very nice trout in the Puerto Blest area. I caught this brown trout there some 3 years ago. You may have to go out trolling... and trolling is rather expensive in the area, some 30 Dollars the hour, more or less.
PHOTO
If you go to Esquel, don´t miss the Cisne Lake in the Los Alerces National Park. Navigating the Futalaufquen Lake is beautiful (there is a nice hotel there, the Hostería Futalaufquen, though it could be expensive because it is probably a 4-star hotel).
PHOTO: Navigating the Arrayanes river, on the way to lakes Verde, Menéndez and Cisne.
PHOTO: Lake Cisne. Nature in its primitive condition. There is not even a lodge where to stay...
But if you take a tour, don´t miss the Verde, Menéndez and Cisne lakes. The Cisne lake is also in a primitive environment. To get there you have to go through a larch forest, where some trees are as much as 2,600 years old.
PHOTO: This tree belongs to the sequoia family, and is 2600 years old. There are older ones in the intangible area of the National Park.
And a view of the roaring waters of the Cisne river is something you will remember for a long time (see next two photos)
PHOTO
PHOTO: A branch of the Cisne river downstream from the rapids.
Here are the links for Bariloche and Esquel.
http://www.argentinaturistica.com/2scbiresenia.htm (don't forget to click on "photos")
http://www.interpatagonia.com/bariloche/fotos_i.htmlhttp://www.interpatagonia.com/esquel/fotos_i.htmlhttp://www.argentinaturistica.com/2esqiresenia.htm (don't forget to click on "photos")
and in between is El Bolsón, another beautiful place worthwhile visiting:
http://www.argentinaturistica.com/2blsiresenia.htmhttp://www.interpatagonia.com/elbolson/fotos_i.htmlPrice of hotels in the area is not expensive. A room with private bathroom, cable TV and buffet breakfast at the hotel Quillén in Bariloche should be costing some 35 pesos (12 US Dollars) per day, single occupancy, except from January to March and in Winter, which is their high season.. In July and August, prices double due to the ski season. At the Puerto Blest hotel, last Summer a room with dinner and breakfast was costing some 70 pesos (25 US Dollars) per person. Prices are slightly higher in Esquel, where a single room in Residencial Ski costs some 18 Dollars, and especially so at lake Futalaufquen, where they are FAR more expensive. The Executive Bus Service to Bariloche (seats the lean back completely flat, blanket, hot meals on board, including wine, whisky and champagne) costs some 60 Dollars from Buenos Aires to Bariloche, for a one thousand mile trip. The service is excellent (check the Tutto Leto service on the
www.viabariloche.com.ar page).
The same bus company has bus services that continue to El Bolsón and Esquel, although not with the same comfort and services. In any case, we are talking of a 2 or 5-hour trip, from Bariloche to El Bolsón or to Esquel.
Start packing your cases now...
Robert Ingledew
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