San Carlos de Bariloche is a city in Río Negro province, in Argentine Patagonia. It lies on Nahuel Huapi Lake and inside Nahuel Huapi National Park, about 1,640 km from Buenos Aires by road. The Bariloche department has 162,088 residents (2022 census), and the town was founded on May 3, 1902.
It is the base for exploring a national park of over 717,000 hectares of lakes, forests and mountains: the Circuito Chico scenic drive, Cerro Campanario, Cerro Otto and Cerro Catedral, boat trips to Victoria Island, the Arrayanes Forest and Puerto Blest, and Mount Tronador. By law it is Argentina's National Chocolate Capital, and in winter Cerro Catedral is the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere.
Bariloche is a year-round destination. Summers are mild, with average highs of about 22 °C (72 °F) in January, and winters are cold, with highs of about 5 °C (41 °F) in July. December to March is best for hiking, lake beaches and boat trips; July to September is for snow.
Bariloche's classic scenic loop: about 60 km along Bustillo Avenue and the Llao Llao peninsula, past the Llao Llao Hotel, San Eduardo chapel, Puerto Pañuelo, López Bay and the Punto Panorámico viewpoint over Lake Moreno, at 945 m. A guided tour takes 3.5 to 4 hours; on your own, it fills a whole day. At km 42 you can detour to Colonia Suiza, the area's first European settlement, with a craft fair on Wednesdays and Sundays and curanto on Sundays.
See toursAt km 17.5 of Bustillo Avenue. A 640 m chairlift takes about 7 minutes to the 1,050 m summit, with views over the lakes and mountains of Nahuel Huapi. You can also hike up in about 30 minutes. Open year-round, except some low-season days.
The base is 5 km from downtown. A gondola cable car covers 2,100 m in about 12 minutes to the 1,405 m summit, home to a revolving café that turns a full circle in 20 minutes. There is also a gallery with replicas of Michelangelo sculptures. Open year-round, except a few weeks in May.
19 km from town, it is the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere, with 1,200 skiable hectares and 32 lifts rising from about 1,000 m to almost 2,000 m. Ski season runs from July to late September, snow permitting. In summer it stays open for mountain biking, and the hike to Refugio Frey starts at its base: 10 km, 700 m of elevation gain and 4 to 6 hours of walking, from December to April.
See toursBoats leave from Puerto Pañuelo, 25 km from downtown, and reach the Quetrihue peninsula in an hour. There, Los Arrayanes National Park protects myrtle trees over 650 years old and more than 15 m tall. On Victoria Island you can walk trails to Playa del Toro and see rock paintings.
See toursAnother cruise from Puerto Pañuelo, along the Blest arm of Nahuel Huapi Lake and past Centinela Island, where Perito Moreno is buried. At Puerto Cántaros you climb to Los Cántaros Waterfall and an alerce tree over 1,500 years old; you can add a boat trip on Lake Frías.
See toursTronador rises to 3,491 m. The road follows Route 40 past lakes Gutiérrez and Mascardi, then gravel Provincial Route 81 to Pampa Linda (about 2 hours from Bariloche) and the Ventisquero Negro (Black Glacier) viewpoint. The last stretch is one-way at set times: up only from 10:30 am to 2 pm, down only from 4 to 6 pm. The road can close after floods or snow, so check its status with the national park before you go.
See toursThe Civic Center opened on March 17, 1940, designed by architect Ernesto de Estrada, and is a National Historic Monument. Its east wing houses the Francisco P. Moreno Patagonia Museum, open Monday to Friday, 9 am to noon and 2 to 5 pm. Law 27,089 made Bariloche the National Chocolate Capital: some chocolate shops make it in front of you, and the National Chocolate Festival takes over the Civic Center and Mitre Street during Easter week.
The 110 km stretch of Route 40 between Villa La Angostura and San Martín de los Andes links seven Andean lakes in Neuquén. Bariloche to San Martín de los Andes is 184 km; the round-trip tour covers about 370 km and takes 10 to 11 hours. Another full-day trip is El Bolsón, 129 km south on Route 40.
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| Month | High | Low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°C 72°F | 10°C 50°F | 14.7 h |
| Feb | 23°C 73°F | 11°C 51°F | 13.7 h |
| Mar | 19°C 66°F | 9°C 48°F | 12.3 h |
| Apr | 14°C 57°F | 6°C 43°F | 11.0 h |
| May | 9°C 48°F | 3°C 38°F | 9.8 h |
| Jun | 6°C 42°F | 1°C 35°F | 9.3 h |
| Jul | 5°C 41°F | 0°C 32°F | 9.5 h |
| Aug | 6°C 43°F | 1°C 33°F | 10.5 h |
| Sep | 9°C 47°F | 1°C 35°F | 11.8 h |
| Oct | 12°C 54°F | 3°C 38°F | 13.2 h |
| Nov | 16°C 61°F | 6°C 43°F | 14.4 h |
| Dec | 20°C 68°F | 8°C 47°F | 15.1 h |
2015–2024 averages calculated from Open-Meteo historical data (ERA5 reanalysis). They may differ by one or two degrees from the local weather station.
Bariloche is worth visiting year-round: December to March for hiking, boat trips and lake beaches; July to September for skiing at Cerro Catedral. Autumn and spring are quieter, and the main sights stay open.
December to February
Highs of about 20–22 °C (68–72 °F) and around 15 hours of daylight. Peak season, and the time for the Refugio Frey hike, done from December to April.
March to May
Forests change color, crowds thin out and highs drop from about 19 °C (66 °F) in March to 9 °C (48 °F) in May. The Cerro Otto cable car usually closes for a few weeks in May.
June to August
Highs of 5–6 °C (41–43 °F), lows near 0 °C (32 °F) and 9 to 10 hours of daylight. Ski season at Cerro Catedral starts in July, snow permitting.
September to November
You can still ski in September, and from October days get longer and warmer, with highs rising from about 9 °C (48 °F) in September to 16 °C (61 °F) in November. Fewer tourists than in summer.
The easiest option. Teniente Luis Candelaria International Airport has direct Aerolíneas Argentinas flights from Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Rosario, Mendoza and El Calafate; JetSMART and Flybondi also fly there. Bus line 72, taxis, remises and rental cars connect it with downtown.
Buenos Aires is 1,640 km away, via Santa Rosa (National Routes 5, 35, 22, 237 and 40) or via Bahía Blanca (Routes 3, 22, 237 and 40). The Tren Patagónico links Viedma and Bariloche once a week in each direction, over more than 800 km; check the official site before planning around it.
Through the Cardenal Samoré pass, 53 km from Villa La Angostura, open year-round and fully paved (snow chains are mandatory in winter); Osorno is 250 km away and Puerto Varas 318 km. The Cruce Andino links Bariloche and Puerto Varas in about 12 hours by bus and boat across lakes Nahuel Huapi, Frías and Todos los Santos.
4 or 5 full days cover the highlights. Plan a week if you want to add the Seven Lakes Route, El Bolsón or longer hikes.
Civic Center, Patagonia Museum, chocolate shops and Cerro Otto at sunset.
Circuito Chico with Cerro Campanario in the morning and Colonia Suiza in the afternoon.
Boat trip to Victoria Island and the Arrayanes Forest, or to Puerto Blest and Los Cántaros Waterfall.
Cerro Catedral: skiing in winter or the Refugio Frey hike in summer.
Mount Tronador and the Black Glacier, or the Seven Lakes Route to San Martín de los Andes.
It depends on your plans. December to March is best for hiking, boat trips and lake beaches, with highs around 20–22 °C (68–72 °F). July to September is ski season at Cerro Catedral. Autumn and spring are quieter and almost every tour still runs.
4 to 5 full days are enough for Circuito Chico, Cerro Campanario, Cerro Otto and Cerro Catedral, a boat trip to Victoria Island or Puerto Blest, and Mount Tronador. With a week you can add the Seven Lakes Route and El Bolsón.
Summers are mild, with average highs of about 22 °C (72 °F) and lows of 10 °C (50 °F) in January. Winters are cold, with highs of about 5 °C (41 °F) and lows near 0 °C (32 °F) in July. It snows on the mountains in winter and summer nights are cool, so pack warm layers in any season.
Ski or snowboard at Cerro Catedral, 19 km from town, where the season runs from July to late September, snow permitting. Circuito Chico, Cerro Campanario, Cerro Otto and the Victoria Island boat trip all operate year-round.
By plane, with direct flights to Teniente Luis Candelaria International Airport. By road it is 1,640 km by car or long-distance bus. You can also take the weekly Tren Patagónico from Viedma.
Through the Cardenal Samoré pass, open year-round: Osorno is 250 km away and Puerto Montt 390 km. Or take the Cruce Andino from Puerto Varas, about 12 hours by bus and boat across lakes Todos los Santos, Frías and Nahuel Huapi.
Yes. It combines a national park of over 717,000 hectares of lakes and forests with a city full of services: scenic drives, cable cars, boat trips, mountain huts, the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere and Argentina's National Chocolate Capital.
