Lake Roca, Scenes to Fall in Love

Having packed our bags the night before, we set off to Lake Roca before dawn.

We had been told it was a fantastic place for fishing. When we arrived, although dew was still falling, there were already several groups of anglers, families camping and some loners relaxing on the shore.

After fishing from the coast for a couple of hours, we decided it was not our lucky day. "We will be back some other day", as fishermen always say. So, we had some mate and hiked towards the hill known as Cerro Cristal (Mount Crystal).

We took some shots of the breathtaking view and went to enquire about the rides. Fortunately, a group was about to leave so we climbed into the saddle and off we rode on our beautiful horses!

We slowly went up the side of the range called Cordón de los Cristales getting a better look at the typical vegetation as we ascended. Perito Moreno Glacier, in all its spendour, was always present as we waded streams and crossed meadows.

Eventually, we found ourselves in the Magellan forest, surrounded by huge shrubs and lengas, ñires, coihues and notros providing shelter from the typical Patagonian wind.

Once we were out of the woods, we stopped to rest and admire the scenic beauty around us. The majestic mountains and glittering lakes make this an idyllic setting.

We rode on and arrived at the camp site by Lake Roca just before midday. "Perfect timing", we all thought when we saw the table laid out in preparation for a delicious criollo lunch.

We took our time after lunch to chat, share our experiences and enjoy such a peaceful place before saddling up again and starting our way back.

We calmly rode along the lake enjoying the horses, the birds singing in the trees and the spectacular lanscape. We spotted a wide range of native and exotic birds which we were careful not to disturb.

When we reached the estancia we left the horses and gladly accepted our guides’ offer of mate and tortas fritas.

Before leaving, we walked back to the shore where there were still some fishermen and families having tea. We took a long look at the lake, recording it in our memories, before bidding it farewell.