Nahuel Huapi National Park
Argentina's first national park wraps Bariloche in 7,500 square kilometres of glacier lakes, ancient lenga beech forests, and snow-capped Andean peaks. It is not a day trip — it is the reason the city exists.
A Landscape of Superlatives
Nahuel Huapi is one of Argentina's most visited national parks, and the scenery justifies every superlative: snow-capped mountains rise directly from deep-blue lake shores fringed with dense forest. The park straddles the Neuquén and Río Negro provinces and contains some of the most biodiverse temperate forest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The park's centrepiece, Lago Nahuel Huapi, covers more than 500 km² and is ideal for kayaking, sailing, and boat excursions to Isla Victoria — a forested island whose ancient araucaria pines feel prehistoric. On clear days the lake mirrors the Andes so perfectly that the horizon disappears.
How to Explore It
Day hikes range from the gentle lakeside Sendero Cascada Los Césares to the demanding summit push on Cerro López, which rewards fit hikers with a full-day traverse and a mountain refugio overnight. The Ruta de los Siete Lagos — passing through both Nahuel Huapi and Lanín national parks — is one of Patagonia's great scenic drives and takes a full day to complete properly.
Horseback riding with local estancias is a deeply Argentine way to move through the park's open steppe and forest edges; many operators include a traditional asado with wine at the end, giving you the full gaucho experience without leaving the park boundary.
Nahuel Huapi National Park on video
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