√ San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina): information on the city, what to visit and what to do in San ...

San Carlos de Bariloche

Coat of arms of San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina)

Population: ~ 77.000

Time difference to London - Time zone GMT/UTC: -3 hours

Climate, weather: 21ºC - 6ºC (48ºF - 70ºF) Nov to March, 7ºC - -1ºC (48ºF - 30ºF) April to Oct. Rainfall varies depending on the mountains, around 4, 000mm falls in the Andes and a much drier 600mm in the Limay River valley with windy conditions typically from Nov to March.

An international airport exists.

► Basic information on Argentina

Bariloche was founded in 1902, its name comes from a deformation of Vuriloche (people different) denomination of the natives of the Eastern sector of The Andes.

Bariloche is located on the coast of Nahuel Huapi Lake, to 770 meters over the sea level. It's one of the most important tourist centers in Argentina. During the winter many of them go to 'Cerro Catedral', international skiing center. In addition to this sport, Bariloche is the ideal place to practice the mountain climbing, rafting, trekking, fishing...

San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina) - Things to See:

• Lake Nahuel Haupi
• Cerro Catredral – on of the most popular snow skiing resorts in South America
• The Patagonia
• Paleontology Museum

San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina) - Local Fiestas and Festivals:

• Nacional Snow Festival - Fiesta Nacional de la Nieve (August)
• Fiesta Provincial de las Colectividades (July)

Bariloche Town

Bariloche is one of the most important tourist resorts of Argentina, and it is the most populated town of Río Negro Province (100,000 inhabitants).

It lies 770 metres above sea level and 1650 km from Buenos Aires (Capital District). It offers excellent tourist facilities and services to 1,000,000 persons who visit it every year.

Tourism in winter and summer

Bariloche is one of the main tourist destinations in Argentina. The Cerro Catedral is one of the most important ski resorts in Argentina and visited by more and more enthusiasts of winter sports every season.

In summer (=European and American winter!) Bariloche offers nearly every kind of adventure tourism

The Patagonia Museum

The Museo de la Patagonia, in the Centro Cívico is very complete and has 2 sections:

Natural Science, Anthropology and regional history and a room for exhibitions which change every 3 months.

Festivals

End of April/begin of May: Festival Nacional de Tango, Arts and Kitchen.

Milongas, concerts and many other events related to tango will take place in different cultural spots of Bariloche.

Snow Festival (La Fiesta de la Nieve): every year, in July with cultural events, concerts and many artists.

Every November 11, Traditional National Party, in every neighbourhood of Bariloche we have shows with horses, gauchos parades, with empanadas, pastelitos, typical dances.

Bars and typical meeting points for students

Bars and typical meeting points for students:

Cocodrilo (Urquiza y Mitre) La Esquina (Urquiza y Moreno), Friends (Mitre y Villegas), 23 Sillas (in front of Club Andino Bariloche), Tante Frida (Mitre nr. 600) good cakes!

Cafeterias: Gino (Mitre between Urquiza and Quaglia) Antigua (Moreno between Urquiza y Quaglia, in front of the Arrayanes cinema).

Ski and Snowboard

Bariloche is located in the Lake District, by the Andes range and offers a wide variety of outdoor activities.

In winter, Bariloche is visited by kiers from all over the world. Cerro Catedral is one of the biggest ski resorts in South America and has runs of all difficulties and for all types of skiers. At the base of the mountains you can rent ski gear and snowboard gear. There are also a number of Ski schools where you will find professional and experience ski and snowboard instructors.

Trekking

In Summer Bariloche is the perfect place for hiking and trekking. There are 6 huts (refugios) in the area of Nahuel Huapi National Park, where you can find a place to sleep and meals. There is an access leads to each refugio, but you can also join some of them in a traverse along valleys and ridges (some experience is required). We recommend to visit the Cabaña de Informes del Club Andino (Information cabin by Club Andino Bariloche) located in the center of town. There you will find detailed and updated information as well as good maps of the area.

Water activities

For those who like water activities, Bariloche has rivers to raft and lakes to paddle.

The Rio Manso has two sections where local companies do rafting trips. Manso Inferior is grade 2-3 and the trip lasts from 10 am to 7 pm. Manso de la Frontera is grade 3-4 and a bit longer, it involves some hiking in a native forest. Both excursions can be hired in offices in the center of town.

You can also go sea kayaking on the lake Nahuel Huapi or the Lake Moreno. You can do a one day trip or a several day trip. Sea kayaking is a great way to visit areas that do not have any other access.

► Information on Argentina