Navigating the Nahuel Huapi Lake & Exploring the Victoria Island and the Myrtle Forest

Adventures in Patagonia & the Mighty Iguazu Falls

Enjoy navigating the azure-blue waters of the Nahuel Huapi

Prepare to navigate the beautiful blue waters of the Nahuel Huapi Lake, the largest in Argentina’s Lake District, set against the backdrop of the snow-capped Andes mountain range. We’ll enjoy our exclusive seating in the boat’s upper deck cabin. From here we’ll experience superior panoramic views and a much more exclusive setting, since there are only 50 seats in this cabin (compared to the over-200-people capacity of the regular cabin).

Known for its cold glacial waters and for being the habitat of kelp gulls and blue-eyed cormorants (which are typically only found near oceans), the Nahuel Huapi Lake provides plenty of natural beauty and beckons with the serenity of its waters. We’ll visit the largest island on the Nahuel Huapi Lake: Victoria Island, home to a wide array of flora and fauna; also offering plenty of history, including ancient cave paintings. Another highlight of this navigation includes a visit to a unique forest of myrtle trees at Arrayanes National Park. These intriguing, cinnamon-hued trees are known for their attractive, smooth and tan bark, peppered with white spots; and giving the forest a captivating mystique. It’s widely rumored that Walt Disney drew inspiration from this myrtle forest to create his animated classic ’Bambi’ but there’s actually no evidence to back up this claim.

Our tour begins with a transfer to Port Pañuelo, located on the shores of the picturesque Llao Llao Peninsula. From here, we’ll embark on a 30-minute boat ride to Victoria Island. Once there, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from several different trails. Chief among these are trails that take you to see cave paintings, or gorgeous views from Bella Vista Hill, and even a former National Forest Nursery Trail (where you can see more than 150 non-native tree species from all over the world, including giant sequoias, known for having some of the largest trunks in the world). You’ll have an hour and a half to discover all of the wonderfully scenic nooks and crannies that Victoria Island has to offer!

Next we’ll navigate to the Quetrihue Peninsula, where the unique myrtle forest awaits. The myrtle trees (some of which are over 300 years old) can exceed heights of over 50 feet (15 meters); and if you’re lucky enough to see them bloom, you’ll enjoy the sight of their snow-white flowers. We’ll spend about 45 minutes visiting this majestic forest, giving you plenty of opportunities to marvel at its natural beauty.

As the sun begins to set on our day of nature and boating, we’ll make our way back to port… a journey which will last about an hour, giving you time to reminisce about the day’s experiences and appreciate all of the natural, serene beauty the Bariloche Lakes Area has to offer.

Important: the tour’s exact itinerary and duration may change subject to weather conditions.

Difficulty: easy.

Duration: long half day tour (approximately 6 hours from the time you leave your hotel until you return). The trip duration is subject to change depending on the season. Additionally, the Arrayanes Forest may be visited before Victoria Island instead of after.

Guide: this is a self-guided tour; however an English speaking guide provided by the boat company may be present on some days of the week.

Vehicle: round trip bus transfer to port in group basis and exclusive seats in the upper cabin of the boat (from where you’ll enjoy better views).

Includes: seats in boat’s upper cabin (which has capacity of aproximately 50 seats over the total 300 seats capacity of the boat). Entrance ticket to Nahuel Huapi National Park and port tax.