El Mercado, A Most Charming Attraction

Recovering the Mysticism of the Village

Patricio James had the idea for decades deep in his heart until the moment came for it to come true.

On the days when there was no Facebook or Twitter, Villa La Angostura always had a kind of mysticism that generated countless followers, witnesses to its growth, to its prodigious scenes and the customs of the pioneers that built it.

Landscapes such the mouth of the Correntoso River and its hotel located on a vantage point, Mount Bayo, Lake Nahuel Huapi and Lake Correntoso along with emblematic locations such as Bahía Manzano or the Quetrihué Peninsula and its famous myrtle tree forest or the singular Annual Garden Festival and the traditional Handicrafts Market gradually became quite well-known all throughout Argentina and the world.

This village whose icon has always been Arrayanes Avenue and the ACA gas station has undergone the same phenomenon as any other city: it slowly changed together with its population and its visitors.

The first settlers of the village assert that there used to be a bunch of sites where people got together. However, they faded away as time went by.


Going Back to the Past and Gathering

Respecting the classical architectural style of the city built of wood and stone, today, “El Mercado” attempts to recovering those glorious days. Old and new elements join in to generate a new tourist attraction that is the talk of the town.

As we asked its creator about the meaning of “El Mercado”, Patricio did not hesitate to answer: “El Mercado is an act of love, love for Villa La Angostura. We wanted to improve the quality of the village. There was no place of encounter and social life –both for local and tourists- was poor. Today, “El Mercado is an invitation to a new space where tourists can meet”. Spending a few hours walking around its circuits will prove this assertion to be true.


El Mercado, Paseo Encantado “El Mercado”, a charming attraction, is located at 450, Arrayanes Avenue and it occupies a surface of 14 hectares, divided into four blocks toured by couples and families that are left speechless by this wonder.

It is impossible to resist the commercial center and its gastronomic venues, just like St. James pub, which has quickly become the chosen stop after dinner.
Stores of different kinds or even the already famous ice rink invite everyone to see this venue. And once they do, they always want to return.


Unique Apartments that Will Leave Everyone Speechless

“What we did was to go back to our origins, to former Patagonia, that built by the pioneers. We raised “El Mercado” with wood recycled from the conventillos in the Province of Buenos Aires. We found frames, windows, doors, wood for the walls and the floors, absolutely everything, at the demolition yards, and hired local craftsmen to work at our carpentry shop. It was thanks to this talent that the place began to take shape, to come to life”, Patricio told us filled with pride.

“El Mercado” also offers accommodation. Manuela, Patricio’s daughter, told us that there are fourteen apartments so far and that they have all been built to let. It goes beyond saying that they are beautiful. As soon as the door of any of El Mercado Apartments is opened, visitors enter a magical world where they are immediately seduced by the vintage style.

Unthinkable furniture, undoubtedly made with love and technique, openings that show the world outside and enhance the world inside, everything has been specially designed to recover the past and turn it into the present, so that the new generations can understand that old is also good, and sometimes even better.


Al Don Pirulero, cada cual atiende su juego…

“El Mercado” welcomes a great deal of visitors both during the day and in the evening lured by its various attractions.

We have already mentioned St. James Pub, the meeting point every evening. A bodegón known as El Metejón is the ideal site for a delicious grilled dish. Young children will choose El Cruce, a fantastic diner where lomitos, hamburgers and French fries speak for themselves.

Las Delicias del Mercado is a tea house that recreates the English ritual with Incredible homemade cakes and jam contribute color and flavor especially at 5 o’clock.

People who are decorating their houses cannot miss a visit to La Mapuche, a site where good taste rules.

Ski rentals, clothes stores, a place to experience paint ball and bungee jumping, a future museum and an art gallery are some of the other spaces that also make up the complex.


The Ice Rink or The Best that Ever Happened to The Village

The site where the younger generations meet at Villa La Angostura has always been the main avenue or the fashionable store of the moment. This is where girls and boys used to gather and chat, with not many other things to do. Today, Villa La Angostura has its own meeting place and, what is more, it fosters the practice of sports or other physical activities.

The Ice Rink has become the best place to meet for children and grown-ups alike. They come here to have fun and spin on the ice, talk with friends, listen to music or even in the hope of becoming part of the ice-hockey team of the village.

Just like the rest of “El Mercado”, the ice-rink has become a must visit.

Sometimes dreams come true. And answering the question above –how does a man declare his unconditional love for a city-, “El Mercado” is the best answer.

Congratulations, Patricio!