South America 2023

We just came back from an amazing two-day road trip to Nahuel Huapi National Park, the oldest and second-largest national park in Argentina. It was a beautiful and adventurous experience.

We started our trip from Bariloche and drove along Route 40, a legendary road that crosses the Andes and connects many natural and cultural attractions. We visited 10 lakes in total during our trip, each one with its own charm and beauty. Some of them were Nahuel Huapi, Moreno, Escondido, Correntoso, Espejo, Traful, Villarino, Falkner, Machonico and Lácar. We enjoyed the scenery and taking photos.

Research from the internet: We also saw a lot of bird life, especially the white-throated hawk, a rare and majestic raptor that lives in this region. We saw a lot of lichens that grow in the park, and hung from branches.

We spent our first night in San Martín de los Andes, another town on the shore of Lake Lácar. It was a picturesque and charming place with a lot of history and culture. The town was founded in 1898 by settlers from Chile who crossed the Andes looking for land. It has a population of about 24,000 people and it is known for its skiing resort on Cerro Chapelco. We had fun exploring the town's shops, restaurants and bars. We had too much fun and drank too much wine and cocktails, but we had a lovely dinner. The weather was cold and windy that day, but we didn't mind.

The second day we drove along Route 63, another scenic road that goes along Lake Nahuel Huapi. The highlight of our trip was hiking to a waterfall in the park. We followed a trail that took us through lush forests, rocky slopes and crystal-clear streams. The forest had many different types of trees with lichen swaying in the breeze. It was like something out of the pages of a fairytale. Some of the small wooden foot bridges were a challenge to cross. The waterfall was spectacular, with water cascading down from a high cliff into a pool below. It was beautiful, an hidden oasis as described by Kristy.

We stopped at Villa La Angostura, another town on the shore of the lake. It was a quieter and more relaxed place than San Martín de los Andes. The town was founded in 1932 by pioneers who wanted to create a tourist destination in harmony with nature. It has a population of about 12,000 people and it is known for its skiing resort on Cerro Bayo. We stayed overnight in a cozy cabin near the lake and enjoyed a fire in our cabin. The weather was warm and sunny that day, which made us happy.

One of the most amazing things we saw during our trip was the spectacular colors of the trees in autumn. The park was like a painting with shades of yellow, orange, red and green. And of course, the lakes did not disappoint. The grandness, serene colors of the water, and the “sheets of glass” on the second and sunny day was simply beautiful. We were mesmerized by the beauty of nature and felt grateful for being there. Czytaj więcej