• Argentina,  Patagonia Roadtrip

    Bariloche: bucketlist or tourist trap?

    There is this thing about Bariloche that kept me away from it for years. Maybe it was because Argentineans like to take their vacations there so it was bound to be very touristc, or maybe it was because they say it looks like Switzerland – with their mountains, lakes and chocolates. As Switzerland is “just around the corner” for us, I didn’t really feel the need to fly all the way to the other side of the world to see just that. Some people I talked to rave about Bariloche, some people say it was utterly disappointing when you compare it to the rest of Patagonia.   When I accidentally won…

  • Pampa Linda Ventisquero Negro Bariloche Patagonia
    Argentina,  Patagonia Roadtrip

    Patagonia: From Bariloche to Pampa Linda

    After arrival in Bariloche, we immediately visit Club Andino, located right in the middle of town and the perfect resource for information about hiking in this area. They provide us with all the necessary information for our next adventure: a trip to Pampa Linda and hiking up to Refugio Otto Meiling. We buy ourselves a hiking map, get a copy of the local Patagonia Trekking Time (in English!) and stock up on supplies. After a good night’s sleep in our 4* hotel (you just have to spoil yourself every now and then, right?) it’s time to head out and explore the Argentinean side of the Andes mountains. When planning our…

  • Argentina,  Patagonia Roadtrip

    Hello Argentina! A roadtrip from Puyehue to Bariloche

    After leaving Puyehue National Park in Chile, we immediately entered the next national park on our trip, but this time in Argentina: Nahuel Huapi. We drove over the Cardonal Antonio Samoré Pass (1.314m.) and even though it may sound weird, the landscape seemed to have changed straight away after crossing the border. While on the Chilean side of the border, the mountains were mostly green and covered with lush vegetation, the Argentinean side of the Andes immediately seemed a lot dryer. Our first stop in Argentina stop was near Cerro Pantojo, an extinct stratovolcano, which completely blew off his top when erupting about a million years ago, which gave it its…

  • Chile,  Patagonia Roadtrip

    What do to on a morning in Puyehue National Park

    After returning to our car soaking wet from Cochamó, we’d pretty much had enough of the rain. More than enough. But as the weather is not something you can change, we just had to deal with it and make the best of it. After a couple of short stops at the bottom of Osorno volcano for some short walks and getting an empanada for lunch in Ensanada (I never had so much emapanadas in my life before as during this trip) it was time to continue our journey up north and hopefully leave the rain behind. We drove along the shores of Lago Llanquihue (which I can only remember as Yankee-Way,…