1,621km (1,005 miles) southwest of Buenos Aires; 180km (112 miles) south of San Martín de los Andes
San Carlos de Bariloche, or simply Bariloche, is the winter and summer playground for vacationing Argentines and the second-most-visited destination in the country.
The city sits in the center of Nahuel Huapi National Park and is fronted by an enormous, irregularly shaped lake of the same name. Bariloche's grand appeal is in its many outdoor activities, sightseeing drives, boat trips, great restaurants, and shopping opportunities here. Visitors could easily occupy themselves for a week, regardless of the season.
The city itself embodies a strange juxtaposition: an urban city plopped down in the middle of beautiful wilderness. Unfortunately, Argentine migrants fleeing Buenos Aires, an ever-growing tourism industry, and 2 decades of unchecked development have left a cluttered mess in what once was an idyllic mountain town. Bits and pieces of the charming architecture influenced by German, Swiss, and English immigration are still in evidence. But visitors to Bariloche are sometimes overwhelmed by the hodgepodge of ugly apartment buildings, clamorous discos, and the crowds that descend on this area, especially from mid-December until the end of February and during ski season in July. Yet drive 10 minutes outside town, and you'll once again be surrounded by thick forests, rippling lakes, and snowcapped peaks that rival those found in Alpine Europe. If you're looking for a quiet vacation, you'd be better off lodging outside the city center, on the road to the Llao Llao Peninsula or in the town of Villa La Angostura. On the flip side, Bariloche offers a wealth of services.
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