Parque Nacional Lago Puelo

This lovely green and wooded national park is centred around the deep turquoise- coloured Lago Puelo, 15 km south of El Bolsón on the Chilean border, surrounded by southern beech forest and framed with the spiky peaks of snow-dusted far off mountains. It's a blissful spot out of the busy holiday season. With relatively low altitude (200 m) and high rainfall, the forest is rich in tree species, particularly the cinnamon-bark arrayán and the pitra, coihues(evergreen beech) and cypresses. There's lots of wildlife, including the huemul, puduand foxes, and the lake is known for its good fishing for trout and salmon. There are gentle walks on marked paths around the northern shore area, boat trips across the lake, and canoes for rent. Guardaparquesat the park entrance can advise on these, and hand out a basic map.

Park information 

Park information available at www.lagopuelo.com. It's best to come between November and April, though the northern shore of the lake can get crowded in January and February. The lake is glorious in April, when the trees turn a vivid yellow.

Walks

For all walks, get the Sendas y Bosques(walks and forests) map and book for El Bolsón, Lago Puelo and Los Alerces. Maps are 1:200,000, laminated and easy to read. The book is full of great walks, with English summaries, www.guiasendasybosques.com.ar.

Other activities

There is wonderful fly fishing in the park, thanks to the fact that this is the lowest crossing in the whole of the Andes region (at only 190 m) so there is no snow, and with mild warm summers in the microclimate here, Pacific salmon come here in large numbers. Contact fishing guides through the park guardería. Also check out Puelo Troutfor fishing trips. There are boat trips across Lago Puelo with Juana de Arco, as well as kayaking with Kayak Lago Puelo.