I’d heard great things about Bariloche. It is often described as the Switzerland of Argentina with its highly renowned chocolate, wooden lodges and alpine ambiance (it’s a ski resort in winter!). It’s a popular holiday destination for Argentineans and for me chocolate, great walking and beautiful scenery was all I needed to hear and I was there!!
Although Bariloche still falls under the Patagonia umbrella, to me it felt less like the Patagonia I’d grown used to. I think it’s better described as part of the Lake District area with its forests and interconnecting lakes. It really is a stunning place!
I spent five days in Bariloche, 3 busy and 2 chilled, and here’s what I got up to:
Circuito Chico, Cerro Llao Llao and Cerro Campanario – Day One
Circuito Chico
I was going to chill on my first day in Bariloche but once again I ended up diving into activities and exploring. First on the cards was cycling the Circuito Chico, a 25km scenic circular route past lakes and forests.
I’d heard cycling wasn’t easy but I was keen to have a go as I loved the fact that I could stop and explore where I wanted to. We rented bikes from the start of the Circuito Chico rather than from Bariloche centre.
To get to the start point, we caught the 20 bus (which runs every 20 minutes) to Kilometre 18. It cost $39.15ARG (less than £1) and takes around 30mins. At Kilometre 18 we went right at the roundabout and walked a few minutes to the bike rental place.
It cost us $600ARG (£10 approx) to rent the bikes till 6.30pm. Rental includes a helmet and a bike lock. This was plenty of time to complete circuit which approximately takes 3hrs. We did it in 6hrs (starting at 11am and finishing at 5pm) as we stopped off multiple times on the way to do the Cerro Llao Llao hike and have a drink at the breweries on route.
The guy at the rental gave us lots of good advice and tips on where to stop off on the Circuito Chico. One being Cerro Llao Llao. I’d previously thought that I’d have to do Cerro Llao Llao and Cerro Campanario separately. Realising that we could do them all in one day was wonderful!
The cycle itself isn’t a walk in the park. The route has plenty of uphills and downhills. The downhills are amazing fun, I wooshed down them at quite a speed even for me. Sadly what goes down must then go up. I started cycling the uphills, I’d go to the lowest gear and pedal hard. My legs were going round fast yet my progress was little to none even though the uphills weren’t very steep! I soon got off and pushed!
Tip: You can cycle the route both ways. I’d recommend starting the route with Cerro Llao Llao and finishing with the breweries. I think most bike rentals will recommend the same.
Tip: Cycle on the right side of the road. This may seem obvious but as a Brit I was on automatic pilot and kept gravitating left! You are sharing the road with cars so do keep an eye out for them!
Cerro Llao Llao
The first main stop on our Circuito Chico cycle was for Cerro Llao Llao. The hike is estimated to take 1hr20 from the start of the trailhead. We did the hike at a reasonable pace in 50mins. The views on route to the top and at the top are fab! It’s definitely worth a visit! If you’re not cycling, you can still get the 20 bus to the start point and then walk up.
Cerro Campanario
Cerro Campanario is a must visit part of any trip to Bariloche. From the top the panoramic views over the lakes and forests are fabulous. It’s also accessible to everyone as a chairlift goes to the top. You can also walk up for free if you’d like. It’s a steep uphill walk and it took me around 20/30 minutes.
I went to Cerro Campanario twice. The first time was after my Circuito Chico cycle in the late afternoon. It was gorgeous and the sun was getting lower in the sky. I really wanted to see the views when the sun was higher so I returned two mornings later. I spent a few more hours up there chilling in the shade and sunshine. It’s easy to spend time up there, take a book and some food and you’re set.
To get to Cerro Campanario take the 20 bus, which runs every 20 minutes. The bus ride costs $39.15ARG (less than £1) and takes around 30 minutes.
Refugio Frey Day Hike – Day Two
The Refugio Frey hike is one of the recommended hikes to do in Bariloche. It can be done in a day or as part of a multi day loop where you camp or stay at refugios. I did it as a 20km day hike and it’s totally doable.
The walk starts in Villa Catedral. To get there we took the 55 bus which runs every hour at quarter past and costs $69.15ARG (just over a £1). We took the 9.15am bus and the ride took 30 minutes. I’d heard it takes longer so was surprised at how fast we got there.
My original plan was to take a chairlift to the top so I could do a circular loop. On arrival we of course found out that the chairlifts don’t run at the weekend. Plan B and the normal route it was then!
We walked with Lago Gutiérrez on our left for the first part of the walk before heading into the forest where the uphill section really starts. It took us just under 3 hours to reach Refugio Frey. Like most final sections of the walks I’ve done, the last uphill section is rocky and steep. Keep your focus as you could slip on a loose rock.
At the top we ate lunch and discussed our return route options. We thought about walking the Sendero Frey por el Filo back but after talking to those at the refugio we decided against it. They didn’t recommend it as it was longer, more technical, more exposure and uneven terrain. Plus, it was windy and as the chairlifts weren’t running we would have to walk that section down too.
We returned the way we came in really good time (2hrs20) which was mainly because we were racing for the bus towards the end. The bus runs every hour at ten past the hour. We could just make the 5.10pm bus if we stepped up the pace!
It was a great walk and we treated ourselves to a steak for dinner back in Bariloche at El Boliche de Alberto. It was delicious!
Choosing a route to get to Refugio Frey
There are three main routes I know of to get to Refugio Frey.
The first one is the normal route which we ended up taking. It’s about 3hrs one way and is a nice walk through forest and along Lago Gutiérrez.
The second one is Sendero Frey Por El Filo which goes along the top. It’s described as a more technical walk due to the rocks and exposure. I really wanted to go this way but only if the chairlifts were running as I didn’t fancy adding even more hours of walking to my plate!
For both the first two routes you get the 55 bus to Villa Catedral.
The third one is via Lago Gutiérrez on the 50 bus. I don’t know much about this one but have heard it isn’t as nice as the other ones.
The Seven Lakes road trip – Day Three
Day Three was a long day! I teamed up with three others and rented a car to drive the Seven Lakes route. The route technically begins in Villa La Angostura and passes (you guessed it!) 7 lakes on the way up to San Martin de los Andes. We did it in a day but you can do it in several and stop off overnight in the towns. I’m actually going back to stay in both towns for a few days to do some walking. Click here to read more about my Seven Lakes drive experience.
Relaxing in Bariloche – Days Four and Five
For my other two days I chilled in town, snuck in a second visit to Cerro Campanario, bought way too much chocolate, caught up on my blog and watched sunsets over the lake with my pasta tupperware dinner.
My first sunset was beautiful but slightly spoilt by a random guy who made me feel uncomfortable. It really annoyed me that he made me feel like that but I didn’t want to engage. I made sure I left when everyone else did. I went back the next evening with a girl from my hostel for sunset take two and was so happy he wasn’t there.
How to get to Bariloche
As the gateway to Patagonia, Bariloche is very accessible. It has an airport so you can arrive from many destinations in Argentina, for example Buenos Aires and El Calafate. You can also fly from places like Santiago and Punta Arenas in Chile but most will have a stop over in Buenos Aires.
If like me and you’re working your way up (or down) Argentina and Chile, you’ll probably arrive by bus. I came from El Bolsón on a 2hr Via Bariloche bus which cost $250ARG (approx £4). There are buses running throughout the day between these two places. It’s very easy. Don Otto, another bus company, also drive this route. When I looked they were a bit more pricey and only had two morning buses a day.
The bus station in Bariloche is a bit out of town and is not really walking distance to the centre (even for me). If you’ve only got a carry on bag you can get off the bus as it passes through the centre. I’d put my big backpack below so had to annoyingly stay on and go to the bus station.
From the bus station to the centre you can take the 21 or 20 bus which costs $27ARG (less than £1) with a SUBE card. Taxis are an option and cost around $155ARG (£3 approx) to the centre. I had no money on my SUBE card and didn’t know if it would work so I managed to share a taxi with others into town.
Tip: Buses in Bariloche use the SUBE card (basically an Oyster card equivalent) and don’t accept cash. You’ll need to get one if you plan to use the local buses. If you’ve already been to Buenos Aires and used the metro and buses then chances are you’ll already have the card. Make sure you hold onto it for Bariloche! Buenos Aires was my first stop on my trip and I almost got rid of mine. Thankfully I held onto it and it paid off!
Buses to Bariloche also come from Santiago (you’ll probably have to change bus at some point), Puerto Varas in Chile and Mendoza, El Chaltén (it’s a 24hr one) and Los Antiguos in Argentina.
Final thoughts
Because I’d heard so many good things about Bariloche I was slightly worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Well I spent five days here, three busy days and two relaxed days, and I can say I really really enjoyed myself.
There’s a lot to do in the surrounding area: Cerro Campanario, Cerro Llao Llao, Circuito Chico, the seven lakes drive, Refugio Frey hike and other multiple day hikes.
I also valued my two relaxed days where I could wander around the town and catch up on my blog which I was getting really behind on!
I bought and ate way (possibly too much) chocolate but hey you’re only in chocolate heaven once! Mamuschka and Rapanui are the places to go!
I imagine winter would also be a lovely time to visit if you’re a skiing fan!
I’m now continuing north to two more Argentinean towns, Villa La Angostura and San Martin de los Andes, which I passed through on the seven lakes drive. I’m going to spend one or two days in each for a few hikes. Then it’s back to Chile for me to Pucon and then Santiago.
P.S. I was writing part of this blog on my phone sitting in the square in the sunshine listening to a busker singing The Scientist by Coldplay.
