The Andes: an endless universe

The Andes Mountains in the west of Patagonia, is part of this stunning region. There, the particular union of forests, lakes and mountains with almost untouched nature, has managed to become a magnet for tourists from around the world. It extends from the neuquino north to the south of Tierra del Fuego.
The mountain range is a landform product of the movement of tectonic plates during the Mesozoic period. Thus Los Andes rise because oceanic plates sink beneath the South American plate. So mountains and volcanoes that make today the Andes, stretching from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego through 7500 kilometers emerged. It is characterized by its high altitude with numerous volcanoes, being the Aconcagua in Mendoza, 6,959 meters above sea level, the highest of all the mountain range.
In Patagonia, the Andes is synonymous with places of unparalleled beauty. Lakes, rivers, hills, mountains, volcanoes, waterfalls and many more natural attractions are the framework that gives it the magic of the mountains.
It is the place chosen by thousands of tourists to relax and enjoy the contact with nature, as well as practice many outdoor sports activities. Trekking, climbing, rappelling, rafting, kayaking, horseback riding and mountain biking are some of the options to discover the vastness of Los Andes.
Among the main destinations we can mention in the province of Neuquen Caviahue and Copahue, San Martin de los Andes and Villa La Angostura; the eternal Bariloche and the hippie town of El Bolson in Black River; and the capital of La Trochita in Esquel in Chubut.
But there are also countless numbers of locations that make up the ridge and are of unique beauty. For example Villa Pehuenia, Villa Traful or Chos Malalen Neuquén, the entire Region of Parallel 42 (where they are located Cholila, Lago Puelo, Epuyén, El Maitén and El Hoyo) and Trevelin Chubut or the capital of the cherry, the Ancients, and Perito Moreno in Santa Cruz.

El Calafate

The beautiful city of El Calafate is the gateway to the fascinating world of Los Glaciares National Park.

El Calafate is 316 kilometers from Rio Gallegos, capital of Santa Cruz province, and takes its name from the small bush called calafate, typical of southern Patagonia, of which ideal for preparing sweet fruit is removed.

At the edge of the Patagonian steppe, the town is a major tourist center that has gained national and international significance in recent years. From here most known circuits departing glaciers, especially the famous Perito Moreno starts.

Its luxury hotels, its new and functional cabins, and its typical restaurants where the Patagonian lamb is the main protagonist of the dishes have made El Calafate one of the world destinations that deserve to be known.

The breaking of the Perito Moreno glacier and the ability to navigate to it and contemplate it closely, or walk on it thanks to lostrekking organized for this purpose have called in recent years visitors from all over the world.
In El Calafate, the climate is predominantly dry, with a maximum average minimum average summer temperature of 19 ° C and in winter -2 ° C. The duration of the day varies depending on time of year, because in summer the sun rises at 5: 30 and obscures recently at 23:00 pm., but in winter the day is only 8 hours of light.

The Los Glaciares National Park covers an area close to 600,000 hectares and this great ice field 47 glaciers surface. Marconi, Viedma, Moyano, Upsala, Agassiz, Bolado, Onelli, the Peineta, Spegazzini, Mayo, Ameghino, Moreno and Frias are some of the most important.

The city has El Calafate International Airport 23 kilometers from the center, from where you can take direct flights to the cities of Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Ushuaia, Puerto Madryn, Trelew and Puerto Natales, among many others.

San Martin de los Andes

For many visitors, San Martin de los Andes, whose name honors the Liberator of the Fatherland, is one of the most beautiful and emblematic Andean cities of Patagonia Argentina. Its particular architecture with stone and wood, its varied cultural offerings, its people and its landscapes make it one of the most chosen when planning a well-deserved rest.

Located on the shores of Lake Lácar and surrounded by the majestic Lanin National Park, the beautiful San Martin de los Andes has four seasons the necessary attractions for visitors want to stay forever.

Thousands of visitors come with heat to enjoy the many recreational activities here can be performed, including highlights mountain biking, boating, horseback riding, trekking, promotion to the hills and, of course, flyfishing for trout and salmon.

In winter, San Martin de los Andes is the perfect place to practice winter sports, including skiing and snowboarding stand out stage.

Chapelco, located a few kilometers from San Martin, is ideal for reaching the snow in all its essence site. The whole family can enjoy a variety of activities ranging from walking through snowy forests to hurtling on a sleigh pulled by perroshuskies.

Both fall and spring kept secret charms exploding in a wide range of colors and attract people from all over the country and from abroad.

San Martin de los Andes is one of the birthplaces of artisan chocolate. For decades it has become a tradition that the most important chocolatiers Patagonia installed in this charming city.

You can access San Martin de los Andes by land or by air, landing at the local airport, located just over 20 kilometers from the city. The Seven Lakes famosaRuta links the city with the majestic Bariloche. From Buenos Aires, are 1,600 kilometers to be traveled to reach this Andean paradise.

Bariloche

The majestic city of San Carlos de Bariloche is located on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi, water mirror with mountains and forests integrates the context of one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Bariloche has as its foundation date 1902. His name emerged as a pun between “Carlos Wiederhold”, who installed the first general store site (hence the part of “San Carlos”), and a strain of term “vuriloche” ( “different people from behind or the other side”), used by the Mapuche people to refer to other native peoples who inhabited the valleys of the eastern side of the Andes before his own arrival in the region.

Located west of the province of Black River and 1,640 kilometers from the city of Buenos Aires, Bariloche has all the amenities for the visitors to choose your holiday all year. The 7 Lakes Road joins with San Martin de los Andes, one of the favorite destinations in the region.
Fly fishing for trout and salmon during the summer and various sports, among which include trekking, elrafting by dozens of streams and walking through the ancient forests, besides promotion to most summits surround the city, are some of the recreational activities enjoyed by visitors to Bariloche.

The arrival of snow heralds the start of the ski season and the practice of winter sports in the legendary hill Cathedral, considered one of the most important ski resorts in the country and visited every winter by thousands of fans.

The mountain biking and horseback riding with the possibility of camping in lush forests, rivers and natural lakes make Bariloche who visit want to return again and again, either in fall, winter, spring or summer.

Is that San Carlos de Bariloche have what they want all generations. Its nightlife, its famous discos and its splendid pubs have led many visitors to wake up in front of the lake watching the sun climbs the mountain and begins to illuminate this beautiful Andean city.