Villa La Angostura

Villa La Angostura is a small town nearby well-touristed Bariloche, which also has the closest airport. Villa La Angostura is built on the north shores of lake Nahuel Huapi, and is the preferred Patagonian destination of wealthy Argentines as well as international travelers.

The area is great for cycling, fishing, horseback riding and hikes, such as the one to emerald-green Laguna Verde, around which there is a walking trail. The best views from near the town are from Mirador Belvedere, which is about 4 km away. From here, you can get a good view of lakes Correntoso and Nahuel Huapi. The road to the mirador (look out point) is also the starting point for walks to two waterfalls, 50-meter high Cascada Inacayal, and 35-meter high Cascada Río Bonito. Visit one or both on the same day.

Villa La Angostura is also the perfect jumping-off point to Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes, which is home to an undisturbed arrayán (Chilean myrtle) forest, and some of the trees are estimated to be 650 years old. Arrayanes have a reddish, peeling bark, grow close to water, and their trunks are cool to the touch.

Catamaran rides on the lake give the great views of the trees, which bloom white in the summer (January and February) You can walk or cycle the 12 km to the end of the trail as well.

Villa La Angostura is also the traditional starting point of the Seven Lakes (Siete Lagos) drive, which can take from one to three days, depending on park visits and lingering walks by the lakes. In the winter (June through September), the winter sports center and ski fields at nearby Cerro Bayo brings skiiers and other snow lovers to Villa la Angostura as well, for its 12 km of ski runs, including one uninterrupted descent of 6 km (more than 3 miles). 

Practical Info:

Most visitors come to Villa La Angostura in the summer (January and February), when the southern cone is on summer vacation, but shoulder season (November to December or March to April) or ski-season (June to September) are great times to come as well. The town is easily accessed from Bariloche (1 hour 15 minutes, flights from Buenos Aires) with several daily buses, or from San Martín de Los Andes, which has daily buses in summer, though the frequency drops to three times a week in the low season. From Villa La Angostura you can also take the winding bus ride through beautiful beech forests across the border to Chile, finishing up in the city of Osorno.