This day 2 years ago, I met some interesting tea-making characters who managed to convince me to do a hell of a lot of climbing and walking with sticks.

Without them I don’t think the lazy 2016 version of myself would have seen half of the breathtaking landscapes Bariloche has to offer.

Located in the north of Patagonia, San Carlos de Bariloche is definitely worth a visit. It is one of those places you could wake up in and have genuinely no clue where you are. The sweet little town is known for it’s great chocolate and will remind you of a Swiss mountain town . The ice cold lake Nahuel Huapi is surrounded by the Andes and the scenery really is fairytale-like.

You will find hostels with views so incredible that you will just want to sit back and relax. But don’t, there is so much to explore.

There are multiple “Cierro”s you can trek (and/or cable car up). I mainly remember complaining my way up Cierro Llao Llao. I found many of them tough – but the views are still to this day some of the best I’ve ever seen.

We were there in the summer and were often alone on many of the routes.

You can also rent bicycles or go kayaking. You’ll find great guides of what to do in the hostels.

I recommend staying at the Penthouse 1004 or the Hostel Inn. 

The penthouse has a 360° view of Bariloche it is like being in a family chalet with a big communal kitchen, a TV room, a terrace etc. Just make sure to clean up after yourself or you will be publicly shamed….

The flight is double the cost of the bus from Buenos Aires. But if you are getting a return it is worth is to save 20+ hours of bus-ing. You can also fly in from Chile. If you’re lucky you’ll get an amazing view of the Andes from the plane.

It is also a good stopover for those heading down to El Calafate or El Chalten.

TIPS:

• Beware of the price of the taxi from the airport, try to find people to share the ride with.
• If getting the morning flight from BA, take traffic into consideration 
• Temperatures drop at night