Ultimate 2024 Summer Travel Guide to Bariloche: Top Tips & Must-See Attractions

In July 2022, I was captivated by the snow scenery on my first visit to Bariloche, and I wrote a winter guide. This time, coming in the summer, I discovered that there are even more places worth visiting around Bariloche. This can only be considered a brief discussion of a Bariloche summer guide, as there are indeed many other fun areas here.

Let’s talk about this trip: El Bolson – Bariloche – San Martin de los Andes. The small town of El Bolson is worth spending 2-3 days exploring, with many hiking routes around it. This time, I mainly went to Lago Puelo, which is the most beautiful lake I’ve seen on this trip so far, with very clear and natural colors.

You can also see snow-capped mountains across the lake. There is an observation deck there, and it’s not difficult to climb up. From the top, you can almost see the entire lake, which I particularly enjoyed. The town also has a place called Cajón del Azul and other lakes, all of which are worth exploring.

Bariloche itself is a lovely city. The first picture shows this, with such a great atmosphere, the streets, vehicles, the distant lake, and clouds. Every time you reach an intersection, you are charmed by such scenes. You can stay at a lakeside homestay. Bariloche is located along Nahuel Huapi Lake, a very large lake, which makes lakeside homestays abundant here. Choosing any one of them will generally not disappoint, and who wouldn’t want to have a day facing the sea with warm spring flowers?

This time in Bariloche, I went to Cerro Campanario. You can take bus 20/10/51 (you can use the Sube card) from the city center to Aerosilla Cerro Campanario, where you can take the cable car. The ticket is for a round trip, currently 8000 pesos per person. The scenery here is highly recommended! The panoramic, unobstructed view of the lake is too charming, and every angle is so refreshing.

From here, you can see the famous Llao Llao resort (I thought it was called Yaoyao, but according to the Argentine pronunciation, it’s Xiaoxiao…). Nearby, there is a port called Puerto Pañuelo, where you can take a boat to Victoria Island and a national forest park, or to another lake, and even to Chile.

Private yacht services are also available, allowing you to go wherever you want. It takes about 15 minutes by bus 20 from the cable car station to get there.

San Martin de los Andes is for seeing the Seven Lakes. This small town also has some hiking routes, though I haven’t researched them. Hiking enthusiasts can look into it. On the way here, you will pass through a town called Villa La Angostura, which is also a place worth staying and exploring. In addition to these, there are many surrounding national parks that can be visited.