Bariloche's Civic Center, Avenida Juan Manuel de Rosas and Panzoni, is a charming stone-and-wood complex that houses most municipal offices and tourism services, such as the information center and national park headquarters. The complex, built in 1940, was inspired by the architecture of Bern, Switzerland. Here you'll find the Museo de la Patagonia Perito Moreno (tel. 02944/422309), open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 12:30pm and 2 to 7pm, Monday from 10am to 1pm; closed Sunday.
Admission is $1. The museum has five salons dedicated to the natural science, history, and ethnography of the Bariloche region. The well-tended displays here are intriguing, notably the stuffed and mounted local fauna, such as pudú (miniature deer), puma, condor, and more. The second floor has displays of Mapuche artifacts, such as weapons, art, and jewelry, and other artifacts from the colonial period. A small gift shop sells postcards, books, and crafts.
Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi
Nahuel Huapi is Argentina's oldest and most popular national park, offering just about everything for any interest or physical level. The park surrounds the city of Bariloche, and its headquarters are downtown in the Civic Center. The park's main feature is the 3,500m (11,480-ft.) extinct volcano Tronador (Thunderer), named for the rumbling produced by ice falling from the mountain's peak. But the park is also known for the glacial-formed Lake Nahuel Huapi and its lovely forested peninsulas and waterways that often provoke comparison to the channels of southern Patagonia or the fjords of Norway. During summertime, visitors can take part in day hikes or backpacking trips along one of the park's several trails or boat out to one of the lake's islands.
The park also has plenty of other outdoor activities, such as rafting, horseback riding, and fishing; during the winter, the park's other dominant peak, Cerro Catedral, is a popular ski resort. Easy access to all regions of the park makes Nahuel Huapi popular with visitors seeking mellower activities, such as sightseeing drives and cable cars to magnificent lookout points. The following information is for all attractions within Nahuel Huapi and around Bariloche.
Cerro Otto
Walk, bike, drive, or ride a cable car to the top of Cerro Otto for sweeping views of Lake Nahuel Huapi, the Llao Llao Peninsula, and the high peaks of Catedral and Tronador, as well as for an assortment of diversions, including paragliding, trekking, rock climbing, and, during the winter, skiing and dog-sledding. The road up to Cerro Otto takes visitors through a thick forest of pine, beech, and alerce (larch) populated with charming chalets. To walk (2-3 hr.) or bike, take Avenida Los Pioneros for about 1km (about 1/2 mile) and follow the signs to Cerro Otto. Or take the free shuttle bus that leaves from Mitre and Villegas; it runs daily every hour from 10:30am to 4:30pm. The cable car (tel. 02944/441035) costs $8 per person and runs January through February and July through August daily from 9:30am to 6pm; the rest of the year, it runs daily from 10am to 6pm. Atop the summit, you'll also find a revolving restaurant (tel. 02944/441035). About a 20-minute walk from the restaurant Club Andino runs a cafe.
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