Isla Victoria and Bosque de Arrayanes without Haste

Everyday, lake tours set out at Puerto Pañuelo in San Carlos de Bariloche heading for two major destinations: Victoria Island and Bosque de Arrayanes. These locations may also be reached in other ways. However, the memory of that visit will always remain with us.

Victoria Island may be accessed either on your own motorboat or on tour, with more time available to get deep into fascinating nooks. Situated in the center of the lake, only one third of its surface may be visited. The rest is a reserve for native species.

We visited it without haste, accompanied by a guide. Immersed in Nahuel Huapi National Park, we heard very interesting stories about the first nations to dwell in this area and the paintings they made on rock walls. We were also told about the first tourists, who dared to cross from Bariloche and settle down in the early twentieth century.

While walking, we paid a visit to the forest nursery, Mount Bella Vista, the viewpoints, the beaches and less popular piers. We noticed there was a huge contrast on its shores: some of them were cliffs and others were secluded beaches where visitors enjoy sunbathing. The color of the waters, the sky, the clouds and the green woods made up a wonderful palette.

We discovered a magnificent inn at the top of a cliff. In addition to its panoramic view, we imagined ourselves waking up in the morning in that quiet place thinking only about what we would be doing that day. Horseback rides, hiking tours or mountain biking are some of the options offered by the trails of the island.

On the other hand, lake tours starting at Bariloche and Villa La Angostura take visitors across Lake Nahuel Huapi towards Bosque de Arrayanes, a unique place in the world. Not many people know that this forest may be reached on foot or by bike through the Quetrihué Peninsula. Also, many adventurers take their bikes on the motorboat to cover only one stretch by bike.

The trails that cover the twelve kilometers that stand between the Chilean myrtle forest and the village boast eye-catching scenes. Some intense slopes justify carrying our bikes on our shoulders for a few meters. The rest of the tour is quite simple. Tall trees, green meadows, some creeks and a small lake appear on the way.

The Chilean myrtle welcome visitors in their humid environment, with the smell of fragrant flowers in the summer and reddish and cinnamon hues that invade our senses.

To sum up, isla Victoria and Bosque de Arrayanes are located in independent jurisdictions but they both offer their delicious aromas, the chirping of birds used to silence and the soft swishing melodies of the canopies. All that was available for us just because we got deep into its forest with some time to spare.