Villa La Angostura and around

A delightful little town which, apart from in January when it is packed out, is an appealing place to stay, especially for those who like their nature seen from the comfort of a luxurious hotel. There are some superb restaurants here and some seriously chic hotels. Cabaña complexes and great hostels have mushroomed up everywhere, so there's no shortage of places to stay. And there are some good walks nearby, excellent fly fishing, and a golf course, as well as skiing in winter. The area is divided into several different barrios: around the sprawling town centre, El Cruce, around the lakeside area of Puerto Manzano, and around the picturesque port, known as La Villa, which is 3 km away at the neck of the Quetrihué Peninsula. For more information, see www.villalaangostura.com.ar.

Sights

Villa La Angostura's great attraction is the Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes, at the end of the Quetrihué Peninsula, which dips into the northern end of Lago Nahuel Huapi, and can be reached on foot or by boat from the port area of La Villa. Also from La Villa, a short walk leads to lovely Laguna Verde, an intense emerald green lagoon surrounded by mixed coihue cypress and arrayán forests, where there's a 1-km self-guided trail, taking about an hour. 

In winter, there's good skiing at Villa La Angostura's popular ski resort Cerro Bayo I9 km north of town, www.cerrobayoweb.com, with 24 pistes, many of them fabulously long, and all with excellent views over the lakes below, 20 km in total, and a great area for snowboarding. This is one of Argentina's pricier resorts. There's also a tiny museum, Museo Regionalion on the road to La Villa, with interesting photos of the original indigenous inhabitants.

Walks around Villa La Angostura

Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes

For an easy flat walk, take the boat to the head of the Quitrihue Peninsula and walk the 13 km back.

Mirador Belvedere

Offers fine views of Lagos Correntoso and Nahuel Huapi. It's a 3-km drive or walk up the old road, northwest of El Cruce; and from the mirador a path to your right goes to Cascada Inacayal, a waterfall 50 m high, situated in an area rich in native flora and forest.

Cascada Río Bonito

A delightful walk leading to a beautiful waterfall, lying 8 km east of El Cruce off Route 66. The steep path gives tremendous views, and the falls themselves are impressive, falling 35 m from a chasm in basalt cliffs to an emerald green pool. Further along the same path, you can reach the summit of Cerro Bayo 1782 m. Alternatively, 1 km further along the road, a ski lift takes you to the platform at 1500 m, where there's a restaurant with great views, and from here, it's a short trek to the summit. The ski lift runs all year; cyclists can take bikes up in the lift and cycle down.

Villa Traful

If you want to get off the beaten track, Villa Traful is ideal. It was created after the Nahuel Huapi National Park was set up, with the aim of giving visitors the greatest possible contact with nature. Approaching from the west, the winding road passes through forests of lenga and tall coihue trees, their elegant trunks creating a woody cathedral, with idyllic spots to camp all along the shore. The quiet pretty village sprawls alongside the narrow deep-blue sliver of Lago Traful, enclosed on both sides by stunning sharp peaked mountains. There's not much to do here, but it's popular with fishermen, and there are a couple of wonderful walks and waterfalls to see, it's a pleasant place to unwind. Best in December or late February to March when the few restaurants aren't full of tourists. Traful is prone to mercurial winds, so check the forecast if you're coming for a few days, it's miserable being stuck here in bad weather and the buses are infrequent.  The national park guarderíais opposite the pier, open only in high season, with advice on walks.

Walks around Villa Traful

A 1½-hour walk from the village centre there are lovely Cascadas dal Arroyo Coa Có y Blanco, waterfalls thundering down through beech forest and cañas colihues bamboo. A lovely ride by horse or mountain bike. Better still, there's a satisfying hike up to Cerro Negro(2000 m) five hours up, following uncertain yellow markers. Ask at the national park office to get the best advice on the route. It's a stiff climb to start with, through gorgeous coihue and lenga forest, and the views as you clear the tree line are unbelievable, with the dramatic spired peaks visible on the northern side of Lago Traful. There's a lot of scree near the summit, but the views of Lanín, Tronador and the others make it all worthwhile. Alternatively, cross the lake (15 minutes) by boat leaving from the main pier, to reach a sand beach from where you can walk up a steep path to twin lagoons, and some superbly well conserved prehistoric cave paintings nearby.Ask in the tourist office to see which companies are currently running trips.