The Lakes District: What Could Be Better Than This?

Smoked Trout? Yes, please!!!
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Pucon, Chile to San Martin de los Andes, Argentina

The Lake Districts of Chile and Argentina constitute a portion of the famous region known as Patagonia.  Situated in far northern Patagonia, Chile´s lake district is a lush, vibrant mass of volcanoes, mountains, and of course, lakes.

a lush, vibrant mass of volcanoes, mountains, and of course, lakes

We had a lovely ride on a paved road all the way from Pucon, thru Villarica, and on to Coñaripe, where we spent our first night.  The road from Villarica to Coñaripe was paved and provided a few tough climbs and fun downhills, with lots of green grassy mountains as a backdrop.  We saw many, many sheep and a few piggies - another stark contrast to the ride through the dry Mendoza region.  We also saw a random sign in the middle of nowhere for smoked salmon and trout, and promptly pulled off the road to investigate.  A sweet older lady and her granddaughter sold us some smoked trout (trucha here in Chile), which was probably the most delicious smoked fish we had ever eaten.  The family smokes the fish themselves, and it was unbelievably fresh and yummy.  We bought a big package meaning to save some for later, but once we had a taste, had to go ahead and finish it off right there.  After getting thoroughly soaked by rain, and even pelted with some small hail, we arrived at the tiny town of Coñaripe.  We set up camp at the Hotel Elizabeth, and also grabbed some dinner there.  More pisco sours, Chilean seafood stew, and a massive, tasty chicken cordon bleu set us up for a good night´s sleep and a tough ride the next day.

Some of the many wooly locals along the way to Conaripe, Chile.
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We were dismayed to wake up to yet more rain.  The following 60 or so kilometers would be entirely on dirt and gravel roads and involve significant climbing, difficult enough already.  But we set off with the idea to stop after 16 kilometers at a thermal hot springs resort for a quick soak to rejuvenate ourselves for the remaining 35 kilometers to our goal town of Neltume.  The riding for these 16 kilometers was gorgeous, idyllic and exceedingly tough.  By the time we reached Hotel Termal Coñaripe - wet, tired and freezing - I had determined to persuade Tole to spend the night.  He happily agreed after seeing the steaming thermal pools, and we quickly checked in, donned our swimsuits, and hit the agua caliente for a good deal of the afternoon.  (For Tole I use the term "swimsuit" very loosely, because as many who know him may already be aware, Tole`s swimsuit is a pair of men´s underwear briefs, particularly a black pair.  He uses the black ones because, he says, they look just like a men´s swimsuit.  I don´t think this is true, but I have given up trying to convince him otherwise.)  This hotel in general was completely awesome - set in an isolated valley, extremely tranquil, and with amazing and personal service.  Highly recommended if you find yourself in the Chilean Lake District someday.

In front of our little hotel with a grand-sounding name, the Hotel Elizabeth in Conaripe.
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In the morning we reluctantly left, in the rain yet again, for the small town of Neltume.  Neltume is about 8 kilometers from the ferry across Lago Pirohueico, which is the only way to get through to Chile on the particular route we had chosen.  The ride to Neltume provided more tough climbing on a poorly maintained dirt and gravel logging road.  Some of the scenery was beautiful, though, and the entire route was serene and lush.  When we finally reached Neltume, we were totally beat.  We had to ask around for a guest house, as Neltume is not even remotely a tourist town.  We were told that a local restaurant rented rooms, and were surprised and pleased to find ourselves with a nice, clean room, a yummy trout dinner, and HBO all to ourselves in the TV room.

Street scene in tiny Conaripe, Chile.
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The next day we rode to the ferry at the teeny town of Puerto Fuy, then had a lovely hour and a half ride across the glacially-formed lake.  After that, we thought we had about 45 kilometers to San Martin de los Andes on a flat dirt and gravel road.  We were partially correct.  It was a dirt and gravel road, but it was actually 65 kilometers over a large mountain.  So, to our surprise, after passing back into Argentina we climbed and climbed and climbed.  The views up top were beautiful, as we were surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes.  But we didn´t have much time to take it in, as darkness was quickly approaching.  We could only hope the descent would start soon to hasten our arrival in San Martin.  It finally did, though much of it was on a road with deep slippery gravel, and we finally reached San Martin a little after sunset.  We were rewarded for our troubles, however.  We happened upon an "aparthotel" that, for whatever reason, rented us what was basically an apartment for less than a hotel would have cost.  We couldn´t believe our luck, and we liked it so much in San Martin that a planned 2-night stay turned into a 5-night stay!

Tole on the way to Termas Conaripe, Chile.
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San Martin de los Andes is an idyllic little resort town set on Lago Lacar, in the northern part of Argentina´s Lake District.  It feels very much like a Colorado mountain town, with similar architecture and lots of ski, snowboard and outdoor shops.  There`s a friendly and laid-back vibe there that´s extremely appealing.  When you consider also the beautiful setting, abundant summer and winter sports opportunities, awesome regional food and parillas, and ridiculously reasonable prices, San Martin is a very cool place to spend some time unwinding.  But after a four-day rest, we were ready to get back on our bikes.