The Nahuel Huapi National Park is the oldest national park Argentina and at the same time one of the main travel destinations in the country. He lies in Western patagonia in the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro and is characterized by a very charming, wooded lake landscape.
The city is the tourist center of the park San Carlos de Bariloche with about 100,000 inhabitants, a popular tourist center. It's on the lake Nahuel Huapí, who gave the park its name and is one of the largest in Argentina and the southern Andes.
background
The Nahuel Huapí is not only the oldest, but also one of the largest national parks in Argentina. It extends over 712,160 hectares on the Argentinechilean Along the border. In contrast to most other national parks, the Nahuel Huapí is used mixed, in addition to the city of Bariloche there are agricultural areas, ski slopes and, above all, many holiday home colonies and hotels.
history
Originally the Indian peoples lived on the territory Poyas (Tehuelches), Puelches and Pehuenches, they were made in the 17th century by those from what is now Chile Mapuche culturally absorbed, a phenomenon known as Araucanization got known. Not until the end of the 19th century, with the wars of extermination Campaña del Desierto, the Argentine state succeeded in effectively integrating the area that had previously only belonged to Argentina on paper.
The researcher Francisco Moreno, known as "Perito Moreno", investigated the areas around the Nahuel Huapí from 1876 and was awarded a part of today's park as a reward. In 1903 he donated 7,000 hectares of it to the Argentine state, which placed this area under nature protection, it was enlarged to 785,000 hectares in 1922 and became the first national park (Parque Nacional del Sur) explained. In 1934 the park was opened in Nahuel Huapí renamed.
In 1971 the peninsula became Quetrihué split off and become an independent one Los Arrayanes National Park explained. In 1981 the UNESCO included the park as a World Heritage Site.
landscape
In the Nahuel Huapí National Park, the typical landscape of the southern Andes is protected. The peaks here, mostly less than 3,000 m, reach significantly lower heights than in the central Andes. The landscape is characterized by dense wet and rainforests that gradually merge into the Patagonian steppe at the foot of the mountains. Several volcanoes can be found in the area.
Flora and fauna
From east to west one can distinguish three eco-systems. The Patagonian steppe is a dry shrub landscape with interspersed semi-desert areas. It covers only the extreme east of the park and slowly goes into the approximately at the foot of the Andes Patagonian-Andean forest above. This area consists mainly of coniferous and beech forests, almost all tree species are endemic to the region. The western part of the park is taken by the Wet forest one that resembles the vegetation in nearby Chile and is very dense. There you can also find the Patagonian cypress, a native species up to 40 m high. The tree line is around 1600 to 1700 m above sea level; above it is the fourth vegetation zone High mountain vegetation with grasses, small bushes, mosses and lichens.
Although the name of the national park Nahuel Huapí translated jaguar means, this big cat was already exterminated in the region in the 1930s. Today the puma is the largest predator, followed by the red fox. Furthermore you can find both local (Huemul and Pudu) as well as introduced deer species and wild boars. It is also in the steppe Guanaco to call a wild species of llama. A forest dweller that is curious from a biological point of view is that Chiloe opossumwhich is closely related to the marsupials of Australia. The Andean condor with a wingspan of 3.3 m is the most notable bird.
climate
The climate is cool-temperate. The summers are moderately warm (around 15 ° C-18 ° C with daytime temperatures of up to 30 ° C) and relatively dry, while the winters are cold and snowy, especially at high altitudes (0 ° C-5 ° C). Overall, it is very humid, the area comes together with the northeast of the province Misiones the highest precipitation rates in Argentina (up to almost 4000 mm on the Chilean border), which however drop to 250 mm towards the east due to the rain shadow of the Andes.
getting there
San Carlos de Bariloche (95,000 inhabitants) is the starting point for most tours in the park. Bariloche airport has flights from several cities. Bariloche is directly connected to almost all of Argentina by bus. Even with a train, the Tren Patagónico, can Bariloche from Viedma and San Antonio Oeste (on the Atlantic) can be reached from. Getting here is easy by car; it runs across the city from Buenos Aires and central Argentina Neuquén and then the RN 237 along the Río Limay.
The second largest city is Villa La Angostura (10,000 inhabitants) on the north bank of the Nahuel Huapí in the province of Neuquén, it is particularly nestled for the Los Arrayanes National Park suitable as a starting point. La Angostura is approached by buses from Bariloche in heavy traffic and there are also connections to Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Mendoza.
The third urban center is far more remote Villa Traful (1000 inhabitants) in the north of the national park. It is only associated with destinations in the region as well as with Buenos Aires.
From Chile (Región de los Lagos) the park can be reached via three road passes, the most traveled and in the best condition is the Paso Puyehue.
Fees / permits
The fees for visiting the park are staggered as follows:
- $ 30.00 - foreigners (not living in Argentina)
- $ 8.00 - Argentinians and foreigners living in Argentina
- $ 4.00 - students at Argentine universities
- $ 4.00 - residents of Río Negro and Neuquén provinces
- Free - Children under 16, people over 65, Argentine retirees and retirees, residents of the park area
The fees are only collected when entering the strictly protected area, i.e. not in the urban centers, the main roads and in the eastern part of the park.
mobility
You can get around the park by car (rental car in Bariloche), bus, guided tour and by boat on the Nahuel Haupí. The latter is the only way to get to Los Arrayanes National Park.
Tourist Attractions
activities
The large park offers a lot of possibilities for active vacationers.
- hike. Both organized and individual hiking tours can be undertaken throughout the park, from short walks to mountain hikes lasting several days. Those who want to join a group have numerous options in Bariloche. On the official national park website there are several tour suggestions to be found.
- horse riding. Several companies offer guided horseback riding tours in the park. Popular tours lead e.g. to extinct volcanoes.
- wild Water. The Nahuel Huapí is the center of Argentine kayaking and white water sports. There are tour operators in Bariloche almost like a dime a dozen, as the (very numerous) high school graduates often use these offers.
- Swimming. The Nahuel Haupí itself is a bit too cold for bathing and rarely rises above 15 ° C water temperature. Numerous smaller lakes in the area (e.g. the Lake Gutiérrez south of Bariloche), however, offer good bathing opportunities on partially less visited and near-natural beaches.
- Winter sports. With the Cerro Catedral, the largest winter sports center in Argentina is located in the national park. It is located a little south of Bariloche, has guaranteed snow from June to September and is often well attended during the winter holidays (first 3 weeks of July). There are also ski slopes in Villa La Angostura.
shop
In Bariloche, high-quality chocolate is made, which is probably the most popular souvenir from the area. In this city as well as in Villa La Angostura you can also find good shopping opportunities for daily needs.
kitchen
Gastronomy is concentrated in Bariloche and Villa La Angostura.
accommodation
Bariloche and Villa La Angostura probably have the highest hotel density away from the Atlantic coast. From the luxury hotel Llao Llao Everything can be found right up to cheap holiday huts and numerous campsites.
Hotels and hostels
camping
security
The Nahuel Huapí National Park is probably the only area in Argentina where you can encounter crooks in nature. While robberies are extremely rare, they do happen every now and then. It is therefore advantageous to move around in a group, especially on popular paths.
When it comes to natural hazards, you can rely on almost European standards from most providers of whitewater tours or mountain tours, for example.
trips
- Los Alerces National Park. Located in the province of Chubut, with similar landscapes.
- El Bolson. Close to the border with Chubut, the largest "dropout colony" in Argentina with 15,000 inhabitants.
- Lanín National Park. With the tourist center San Martín de los Andes, one of the most attractive medium-sized cities in Argentina with 30,000 inhabitants. The park is characterized by spectacular volcanic landscapes between southern wet forest and the Patagonian steppe.
literature
Book: The Wood Lark at Nahuel Huapi- My Life with the Writer S.A. Franke by Hanne Bert-Franke
