Ruta 40

Sitting under the imposing face of the Piltriquitron Mountain, El Bolson is a bustling little town, made famous in the 70s by people from Buenos Aires moving here to live a more alternative lifestyle.

During the summer months, it is still very popular with swarthes of Argentinian backpackers coming to enjoy the lifestyle, hiking trails and local micro-breweries. There are plenty of trails to explore and a collection of moutain refugios to be visited self-guided.

Los Alerces National Park, is an area of 2,630 square kilometres and is noted for its temperate rain forest (which is only present in 7 regions of the world), lakes, rivers, glaciers and marine fossils.

It also has the largest population of the Alerce tree in Argentina, one of the longest living trees on earth. This incredible environment supports a wide diversity of wildlife, including the Andean Condor, the puma, wild boar, mink, the elusive Huemul deer and, surprisingly, a native marsupial, the Colocolo Opossum.

Esquel is a bustling provincial capital of 40,000 people with tree lined streets, intriguing independent shops, cafes and restaurants. It is a lovely place to wander around of an afternoon, window shopping or people watching in the leafy main square. The town is also famous for La Tronchita, the narrow gauge railway which you can now travel 18 of the 402 kilometres of.

Drive 20 minutes from Esquel and you'll reach the charming little village of Trevelin. Here there is the Old Mill Museum, Welsh Chapels and the home of John Daniel Evans – a great hero of the Welsh settlement.

Los Antiguos is a charming small town of 5,000 situated on the shores of the Lago Buenos Aires (named Lago General Carrera in Chile). There are beautiful trees and irrigation channels running through the centre, as well as a plentiful fruit production – particularly cherries, being the national capital of the cherry. It is also the jumping off point for the Argentinian Patagonia Park, divided into three sections.

Sat in the spectacular Río de las Pinturas canyon carved out over thousands of years, the Cueva de las Manos, translating to Cave of the Hands, is a series of prehistoric caves containing paintings of (mainly) hands. The perfectly preserved paintings are the imprints of indigenous hunters who lived between 13,000 and 9,000 years ago, while there are also some paintings of traditional hunting scenes and native animals. 

You can take a few different hiking routes around the canyon, observing the scenery and wildlife as you walk alongside condors. Cueva de las Manos is open every day of the year with guided tours offered, however, the nearest accommodation is in Los Antiguos, Gobernador Gregores, or Lago Posadas – there isn't any onsite.

Both the name of a sleepy little village and the immense lake home to the iconic limestone arch. Lago Posadas and its neighbouring Lago Pueyrredón are connected by an isthmus which is also the only access round to the estancias on the western shores of the lakes.

The lakes are surrounded by extensive salt flats with abandoned estancias at their shores, and volcanoes, lush plains and barren high passes showcase all sorts of colours – from blue, to purple, yellow and orange. Lago Posadas is also the starting/ending point of the lesser known, beautiful, Ruta 41, which is passable only by 4x4 and connects with Los Antriguos following the Andes.

Not to be confused with the Perito Moreno Glacier, 560 kms south in the Los Glaciares National Park, nor the mining town of the same infamous name 320 kms north, the Perito Moreno National Park has more than 200kms of newly laid trails and unmanned hiking refugios.

There is no public transport that services the park so it's very hard to get to without your own vehicle or on a private tour. The park houses endless turquoise glacial lakes, beautiful virgin beach forests and the soaring snow capped peaks of the Andes as a back drop.

Known as Lago San Martin in Argentina and Lago O'Higgins in Chile, this vast glacial lake spans the border of both countries. It is surrounded on one side by the imposing flat topped mesetas mountains and on the other by the snow capped Andes.

Estancias are dotted throughout the areas around the lake and spending some time here offers the opportunity to trek through the forests and uncover little-visited waterfalls and enchanted streams. You'll be in the company of woodpeckers, eagles and condors, and fishing enthusiasts will also be delighted by the salmon and trout that live in the pristine waters.

El Chalten is a small mountain village which is a famous launchpad for mountaineering expeditions, and well known for the wide selection of scenic day trails straight from the centre. It also has far more to offer; the rolling steppe can be explored by horse and bike, and the Rio de La Vueltas offers a water playground for kayaking and rafting.

Between activities, enjoy inspired local cuisine like the spicy mountain stew and sample locally-brewed pilsner and wine from across Argentina.

The biggest town in the area, a one or two-night stay in El Calafate is a great way to explore the Perito Moreno Glacier – whether you make your way around the walkways or choose the ice hike across the surface. In town, a modern museum details the history of the region’s many glaciers. Alongside various restaurants and bars, you'll find B&Bs, boutique hotels and hostels, while just outside of the city is a luxury lodge.