The Nahuel Huapi Lake

Every time we visit the City of San Carlos de Bariloche, we are welcomed by the huge Lake Nahuel Huapi, which captures our attention. During vacation time, we are lured into the various tourist offers in this southern confine and the lake assumes a different role.

We resolved to devote some extra time to this water body in order to understand its messages. For such purpose, we decided to observe it on windy days as well as when the weather was sunny, and we noticed how those millions water molecules that make up its structure feel the impact of natural phenomenon.

When the sky is cloudless, boating that unique shade of blue typical of Patagonia, the Nahuel Huapi remains still and its waters feature an intense blue hue and a perfect glow. When the wind blows hard from the west, though, the lake presents a grayish aggressive appearance, as if defending itself from an attack. It even shows waves that hit the shore with great strength.

And then there are times when it brandishes a turquoise shade, as a result of some movement of sediments or algae in the deepest areas. Likewise, volcanic ash and the remains of vegetation dragged by the rain alter its aspect. Everything in this mass of water is alive and that is why nothing is stable.

One curious thing is its transparency. It takes our breath away when we look down at it from higher ground. We can see the braches of fallen trees, rocks of different kinds and the highly coveted trout. Not to mention its bays, its remote nooks and the richness of these unspoiled icy waters.

We make contact with this uneasy environment when we get on board some motorboat and cross the immensity of the lake. We sail without worries on the mirror that reflects everything around and every hill seems to find its twin inside the water.

An ideal setting for boat trips and recreational activities, Lake Nahuel Huapi does not go unnoticed. When we have the chance to behold it, we can think of its thousand faces, the ones we can see and all the ones to come. It is a challenge to understand it and to give praise to its creative force.