2 Best Sights in The Lake District, Argentina

Lago Nahuel Huapi's entire Quetrihue Peninsula, with its unique forest of arrayanes (myrtle trees), is protected by the Parque Nacional los Arrayanes. These trees absorb so much water through their thin skins that all other vegetation around them dies, leaving a barren forest of peeling cinnamon-colored trunks. A stroll up and down wide wooden steps and walkways is a memorable experience, as light filters through the twisted naked trunks, reflecting a weird red glow. You can make this excursion from the pier at Bahía Brava in Villa La Angostura (or by boat from Bariloche via Isla Victoria). In summer, you can walk (three hours) or cycle, after registering at the Guardaparque office (ranger station) near the pier.  Leave in the morning, as the park entrance closes at 2 pm (11am in winter). A nice combination is to go by boat and return by bike (it's all downhill that way). If returning by boat, buy your return ticket at the pier before you leave.

This national park is notable for having the highest concentration of lakes in Argentina. The largest of them, Lago Nahuel Huapi, covers 897 square km (346 square miles) and has seven arms—the longest of which is 96 km (60 miles) long and 12 km (7 miles) wide—reaching deep into forests of coihue (a native beech), cypress, and lenga (deciduous beech) trees. Intensely blue across its vast expanse and aqua green in its shallow bays, the lake meanders into distant lagoons and misty inlets where the mountains, covered with vegetation at their base, rise straight up out of the water.

Inside the park, nearly every water sport invented can be arranged through local travel agencies, tour offices, or hotels. Boating is particularly popular, with options ranging from a placid Isla Victoria outing to challenging white-water-rafting adventures. Information offices throughout the park can also offer tips about tackling the miles of mountain and woodland trails. Small towns like Villa La Angostura and Villa Traful are excellent destinations for further explorations on foot or horseback. Since most of the park is at a low elevation (under 1,829 meters or 6,000 feet), getting around in winter is not difficult—just cold. Fall foliage, long, warm summer days, and spring flowers are the rewards of other seasons.