Today was a short riding day sandwiched between a boat ride and a van transfer to San Carlos de Bariloche, where we would spend two nights. After breakfast, we loaded the bikes on the catamaran and enjoyed a 2.5 hr trip across the Brest branch of Lago Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Pañuelo. Before starting out on the bikes, we had a leisurely lunch at a hotel above the port. There, we were visited by a couple of Southern Crested Caracara birds, who posed patiently on the railing for the inevitable flurry of photographs.
Bikes loaded on catamaran for trip on Lago Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Pañuelo
Following lunch, we mounted our bikes and headed west on the Circuito Chico, a delightful, paved, and “fundulating” route passing between Lago Nahuel Huapi and Lago Perito Moreno (similar to the glacier near El Calafate, the lake is named after the Andean explorer Francesco Moreno, who is buried on Centinela Island in Lago Nahuel Huapi). Glimpses of the lake teased me along the route, and I was tempted to stop at one of the several miradors (viewpoints). However, I kept going – enjoying the tarmac after so much time on gravel. After about 10 miles, a sign appeared for a Punto Panorámico and I knew it was a stop not to be missed. Indeed, it was the spot for our group afternoon coffee stop! And what a panorama it was – views over both Lago Nahuel Huapi and Lago Perito Moreno with the Andes in the distance.
Everyone was in high spirits as we headed down the hill, cycling the last six miles to the Bariloche bike shop where we left our bikes for some TLC. We transferred to our hotel on the lake, just a few blocks from the city center. A group of us went for a late dinner, where they forgot to put my meal on the bill! Not a bad start to our day off.
Glimpses of Lago Perito Moreno from Circuito Chico
I woke early, catching the glow of the rising sun on the mountains across Lago Nahuel Huapi. There were a host of activities available to occupy our day off in Bariloche, from swimming, kayaking, and fishing to a trip up the Cerro Campanario chairlift for a 1,000m view of the mountains and lake. I opted for a more relaxing day. One must-do was to get some Argentinean pesos (ARS), a seemingly simple task that had proven to be unexpectedly difficult. The US banks would not exchange dollars for ARS, and the ATMs I’d encountered in Cordoba and El Calafate had few, if any, pesos. Most places in Argentina would take US dollars, but the exchange rate was pretty variable and I preferred using the local currency. Thankfully, the Bariloche ATMs were full of cash and I was soon on my way to find some maps and explore a bit of the town.
Bariloche is a city of over 100,000 located on Lago Nahuel Huapi. In the 1930s and 40s, the city became a major tourism center attracting skiers, trekkers, and mountaineers. The main square of Bariloche, the Centro Civico, was designed in the 30s to resemble a traditional European alpine town. The town hall, tourist information office as well as the Francisco Moreno Museum of Patagonia can all be found around the square. In keeping with the Swiss alpine theme, St. Bernard dogs roam about the square, complete with kegs of brandy around their necks. Presumably, they are there for photo ops. The Tourist Information office was not much help with maps of the Lakes District, and what they had was limited to Argentina. I had a little better luck at an outdoor shop, but nothing that captured the areas were riding through across both countries. Afterwards, I wandered up and around the main tourist street and market, successfully avoiding the scores of chocolate shops. Back at the hotel, I basked in the sun on the terrace and caught up a bit on the journal. After dinner, I finally indulged in some Bariloche chocolate and ice cream – a sweet ending to a restful day.
