If visiting Bariloche, Argentina, it is worth venturing a little further afield. Here are some great sights you can see on a beautiful circuit from El Bolson, itself the vibrant hippie capital of the country, and just 100 km to the south.

 

1  El Bolson

Say what you will about hippies but they are not stupid. In the 1970’s they started moving to El Bolson, with the result that today it is often listed as one of the nicest places to live in Argentina.

It grows 80% of the country’s hops so there is a thriving micro brewery scene – at Cerveceria El Bolson, to the north of town, it is possible to taste 18 different brews. There are plenty of buzzy cafes and restaurants to explore and a great handicraft market, Saturday being the main day. This is a great place to pick up quirky presents as well as lunch, with empanada stands and other foodie stalls.

The town is surrounded by mountains too so there are some good walks with fine views.  La Nonna is a nice cafe on the main street for breakfast or stocking up on picnic items before heading out.

2 Museo Leleque

Ruta Nacional 40 is the famous road which stretches 5,028 km to the very south of Argentina. If you follow it south from El  Bolson for 80 km it will lead you to a very smart estancia (signposted) where you will find this excellent museum. It covers the history of Patagonia from the viewpoint of the indigenous people and is actually owned by the Bennetton group, so I guess it is their way of putting something back.

It has an expertly collated collection which even though largely in Spanish, is displayed in such a way as to be instantly comprehensible.  There is a recreation of a native dwelling made from guanaco skins and some incredibly fine flint arrow heads. It then follows through to the arrival of the Europeans and their effect on the people right down to the present day.

At the end in a separate building they have re-created a boliche, a kind of general store cum bar and inn. You can get drinks and snacks here whilst admiring the old silver cash register and massive urn. They have done a great job and it is well worth a visit. Entry is only AR$50.

3 The Old Patagonian Express

Known as La Trochita this narrow guage train became famous largely thanks to Paul Theroux’s excellent book The Old Patagonian Express, somewhat of a misnomer, as the thing never averaged much more than about 30 km per hour anyway.  Construction began in 1906 but only finished in 1945, covering 402 km between Esquel and Ingeniero Jacobacci.

I am not sure that it runs at all these days, but there’s an example of one of the old steam engines on Ruta 40 in the middle of Esquel, another 90 km on down the road from the Museo.

Somewhat marooned in the middle of the highway, this German model from the 1930’s has been stripped of most of its shiny bits but is still impressive. Feel free to climb on and play train driver.

Esquel itself is a pleasant enough town but with little else of interest.

4 Trevelin

It can be amusing to visit the offbeat sights occasionally and there is one here that definitely fits the bill: the 1883 tomb of El Malacara,  a horse, who saved the life of his master,  a Welsh man by the name of John Evans.

For Trevelin is another one of those Welsh settlements that we first encountered on the other side of Argentina, the last in the chain that stretches back to Puerto Madryn.

Evans was part of a group of four when Indians attacked one day. Malacara jumped a huge gorge and carried his rider to safety, whilst the other 3 in the party died.

The horse is buried in the garden of Evans’ house and the grave is marked by a huge boulder.  It is a pleasant leafy garden and the old one story house is still traditionally furnished and worth a look.

There are other Welsh sights to explore, including a mill, and the ubiquitous cream teas if you are hungry.

5 Parque Nacional Los Alerces

Chatwin said that where there were Germans, there were lupins. Maybe they arrived after the Welsh as this park is a beautiful drive from Trevelin, along lupin fringed rivers and wide valleys. The alcerce is a long lived tree, similar to the American redwood, and some in the park are 4000 years old.

They grow to an immense size, and a boat trip from near the park entrance, or from Puerto Chucao, will take you to see the biggest ones. There are also some lovely walks.

The suspension bridge over the river Arrayanes leads to a super 3 km round walk to Puerto Chucao and Lago Verde. The area is very unspoilt and has a real wilderness feel and the water is unbelievably clear and clean.

There are superb views of unspoilt lakes throughout the park and some great wild camping spots.

6 Cholila

When things got too hot for them in America,  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid decamped to Patagonia, with the latter’s girlfriend, Etta Place, apparently a better shot than either of them.

Now everyone has seen the film,  but here you can actually visit the homestead where they bought 12,000 acres in 1901. It is just north of the small town of Cholila on Ruta 79: look for the left turn just after km 21. There is a little wooden hut by a gate, then a 400 m walk to the house.

Butch built the house and spent the first winter alone before his companions joined him. By 1907, they were bored and up to their old tricks; the place was hurriedly sold and they left to vanish into folklore.

Today, a heavily rebuilt cabin still stands,  along with a rather more ramshackle stable and shed. Nestling under the slopes of the snowcapped mountains, it has a stream with a wide valley beyond – such beauty,  but not enough to keep them on the straight and narrow.

7 Parque Nacional Lago Puelo

This park is only about 15 km south of El Bolson so it is popular for day trips from there when the locals usually fire up the BBQ: most of the top of the lake has fireplaces. It consists of a huge lake surrounded by southern beech forest whose head is easily accessible by car, the road in being lined by cabanas.

There is the most superb view over the water to a chain of spikey snow capped mountains on the distant horizon. You could enjoy them from one of the hiking trails but there is also a tiny beach, La Playita, to the eastern side of the picnicking areas. Better yet it is sheltered from the wind so for once you can enjoy the heat of the sun – quite rare in Patagonia and a nice way to while away an afternoon before the circuit finishes in El Bolson.

Where to stay

There ia a wide choice of accommodation of all sorts but we were camping and I can recommend the following:

El Bolson: Camping Refugio Patagonico, close to town and with nice grassy camping under trees. AR $100 each.

Los Alerces: free camping in wonderfully scenic sites on the lake at Las Rocas, near Villa Futulaufquen, and at Puerto Canero at the northern entrance.

Getting Around

There is a good bus service especially on the Bariloche – El Bolson – Esquel route. Other places would be do-able with a bit more effort, but for overall ease, I would recommend a hire car. We allowed 5 days to complete the circuit.

Exchange Rate; £1 = AR$ 24