Bariloche & Llao Llao Resort

We have been at Llao Llao resort for a week and are impressed. Resort activities are all inclusive: golf, kayaking, tennis, archery, hiking, mountain biking, outdoor infinity pool, rappelling.  Then, of course, there are the spa, Pilates, fitness equipment, reading room, indoor pool, billiards, table tennis, etc.  Thus far we have been hiking, mountain biking, archery, and Pilates.

Sub-tropical rain forest begins just past the tennis court in this photo. Trails lead to isolated beaches to the east and west along this isthmus.  We rode mountain bikes across the golf course and into the forest.

A beach cove on the lake.  Some private homes are located in the park; sales of land to some individuals brought the needed funds to develop the remainder of the park.

Doesn't this look like an ocean fjord?  The photo was taken looking out from the same cove as shown above.

San Carlos de Bariloche is touristy and has experienced recent rapid growth.  As a result, it is congested, has many construction projects underway, and has a fringe of scrap-made shacks from people coming here to seek work.  I am glad that we booked this resort, surrounded by forest and lakes and located 20 miles west of the city.

Okay, the secret is out: Dawn walks her bike up the steeper sections of trail.

Sunrise and the moon setting from our hotel window.

Sunset, also from our hotel window.  The beauty was outstanding in every direction we looked at this location.

Panuelo marina, directly adjacent to Llao Llao resort.  Boat excursions depart from here to all parts of the lake.

We are in northern Patagonia, and the scenery is everything you could imagine. The hotel is on an isthmus between multiple lakes, surrounded by mountains, covered by dense forests. The lakes are pristine; wide, deep, clear, with many bays, islands, and channels; large enough for commercial boat trips several hours in length. We are surrounded by rugged mountains with exposed craggy peaks; showing the first snows of the coming winter.  The forests are dense old growth; huge trees with trunks 4-5 feet in diameter extending more than a hundred feet high.  It reminds us of the old growth forest we encountered in the San Juan islands in the Pacific NW.  This is the region where the story of Bambi, the deer, originated, and it truly is a storybook surrounding.

Typical shoreline of Lago Nahuel Huapi seen while on an excursion.

Docked near the Chilean border, waiting for passengers to embark/disembark from the border crossing.

We took an all-day commercial boat excursion on Lago Nahuel Huapi to the Chilean border.  This is an incredible lake: surface area of 200+ square miles, depth of 1400+ feet, and cold (45 degree F.), clear water fed by snow and glaciers.  The scenery is very similar to the fjords of Norway; multiple waterfalls cascading down steep surrounding mountain slopes.  At the far end of our trip, a few tourists joined our group after passing through the border procedures,  the border at this point is a remote customs outpost on a rough gravel road connecting to the dock on the lake.

We also took an excursion by tourist van to Cerro Tronador, a glacier-clad extinct volcano whose highest peak marks the border between Argentina and Chile.  The road is mainly a rough, one-lane, gravel road, discouraged for use by rental cars (no wonder the shock absorbers were shot when we tried to rent a car).

Lago Mascardi, note the color of the water has been changed by suspended minerals in the waters entering from glacier-fed sources.

This is actually a telephoto shot of Cerro Tronador, (11,736' tall) taken from in front of our hotel, about 30 miles away.  I use a cheap ($150) Sony camera, small enough to hide in my shirt pocket, and it gets great results.

Base camp.  Time for lunch before we drive up to the base of the glaciers.

The glacier's edge is about 90 meters thick.  people in this region report that the climate has been significantly warmer with less rain in recent years.

The atmosphere in this area is European; probably for good reason.  Many citizens here are the offspring of European immigrants.  Culturally, Europe is the model for their institutions. They pay heavy taxes and in return enjoy "free" government services.  Buildings and homes here have an Alpine look. In winter, the resort becomes a ski lodge. Temperatures are mild enough that the ski season is only three months long.