Hiking towards the Belvedere Viewpoint, Inacayal Cascade

The proposal consisted in going on a hike that would not only represent a fantastic physical activity but would also let us reach two interesting tourist attractions very close to the Village.

The Belvedere Viewpoint and Inacayal Cascade, both of them lying within the Mapuche territory, were our aim. On the arranged day, right after breakfast, we packed a bottle of water, sodas and some cereal bars and set off.

We followed the map towards our destination. We parked our car and got ready to enter the thick forest in front of us. It was amazingly tall and mixed.

At that spot, we found a trail that featured the main obstacle in the tour: a very steep slope that promised an important effort for our bodies.

We were stunned at the golden hue in the environment. The light percolated through the tree branches and the mattress of fallen leaves gave shape to a magical path.

Before we could notice, we had stopped chatting and laughing. The effort was important and we needed all the air we could take.

The slope continued until we reached the viewpoint: an open wild area overlooking Lake Nahuel Huapi. We had a look at our map and checked the scenery in the distance.

The vastness of the Northern arm of Lake Nahuel Huapi, the short Correntoso River with its bridge on Route 231 and the partial view of Lake Correntoso stood out. In the background, we could see the mountain range that represents the Chilean border. Below, we observed a strategic site to fish salmonidae: the old Hotel Correntoso and the shores of both lakes.

As there were no seats, we searched for a spot on the grass to have a break, breathe in and enjoy our snack. Nature was at our service.


Gothic Font

An old sign set up by the Nahuel Huapi National Park Administration showed us how to get to Inacayal Cascade. The present managers of the venue have not added any new sign with proper information.

We followed the same trail we had used to go up and reached a fork. We turned towards the direction of the cascade. The swaying canopies escorted our hike.

We noticed that there were some settlers in the area, as we spotted a hamlet, some domestic animals and greenhouses.

We were encouraged by the distant sound of the creek. The forest became thicker. Many trees had fallen down due to the lack of space to get enough light and air. We saw the logs resting on the ground.

We did not know their names but found that the tree species were different from one another in size and color. The leaf patterns were also different. Though we could not see them, we could hear the singing of birds in the lush vegetation.

The mountain creek was quite narrow, flowing over grey and very white stones, as if they had been bleached by sunshine. The water looked turquoise, maybe because it was the result of meltdown.

The creek was called Las Piedritas (the Pebbles) and after a long walk, we came to a ravine and were shocked by the spectacular cascade in front of us. Huge water circles and gushes of foam were formed on the pool when the water fell.



Little Light but Lots of Shots

The noise was deafening and the magnetism, huge. There was low, glossy vegetation, teeming with ferns. We sat there for a moment, enjoying the view and took a great deal of pictures to remember that instant for good.

We found the way back to our vehicle. Even though we were tired, we all agreed that the tour had been excellent.

The aroma of the forest remained impregnated in our bodies and our emotions.