The Travel Chica

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Bariloche: The Bad, The Good, and 5 Reasons to Return

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Bariloche is known as one of the most beautiful cities in Argentina.

It is situated in the foothills of the Andes mountains on the large Nahuel Huapi Lake.  In addition to the perfect location, the town is known for delicious chocolate and Swiss-style architecture.

People come here for all sorts of outdoors adventure activities.  In the summer, they come to trek, kayak, parasail, cycle, and more.  It has the best skiing in the country in winter.

But Bariloche never had a chance with me.

5 Things That Sucked About Bariloche

Number 1:  I did not have much time.

I was captivated by the magic of El Bolson, so I stayed.  One of the few things I have actually planned in advance is a 7-day Patagonia trekking tour that starts in El Calafate.

Note:  I am really excited about this tour.  Be sure to like my Facebook page and follow me on Twitter for more updates.

One of the best parts about long-term, independent travel is that you have the flexibility to make some changes.  El Bolson won, and I left only 3 days for Bariloche.

Number 2:  Ashes suck.

I was not excited to go to Bariloche because I kept hearing from other travelers that the ashes were still quite bad.

It’s true.

The sky was clear the first hour I arrived on a Wednesday afternoon.  The sky did not clear up again until I got on a bus to El Calafate on Saturday morning.

There was a thin layer of ash on everything.  Even inside my hostel and on the seats of the local bus.

Number 3:  Not a Runner-Friendly Town

I could not enjoy my morning run due to those ashes I mentioned before being kicked up with each step I took.

Plus, the only good street to run on is heavily trafficked with very little space for pedestrians.  Although the ashes are not Bariloche’s fault, the fact that I have to breathe exhaust fumes and risk getting him by a car to go running is.

Number 4:  Renewing My Visa was a Quilombo

My 90 days was going to be up soon.  There is an immigration office in Bariloche where I could re-new my visa without having to do a border run.

This was one of the main reasons I went to Bariloche.

Remember how I only gave myself 3 day?

Well, I spent the entire first day freaking out when I found out that the next two days were feriados (aka holidays), and the immigration office would be closed.  Then I discovered that there is not a bus that just goes to the Chilean border and back as I had been previously told was an option.  (The border is only 150km away from Bariloche).

I had to take a bus all the way to Osorno, Chile, which is 5.5 hours away, sit for about an hour, and then take a bus 5.5 hours back.  Oh, and did I mention that because there was a feriado, almost every seat was taken.

I bought THE LAST TICKET to Chile at 9pm the night before.

I got lucky.

Number 5:  The Local Bus System Is a Pain in the Ass

Not too long ago, the city decided to change the bus system so that you can only use an electronic card.  You cannot buy a ticket on the bus.  You can buy a ticket at a kiosk, but there do not seem to be many that sell them.

Oh, and remember those two days of feriados?  The kiosk I was told to buy a bus ticket at was closed.  None of the locals I asked on the street had a clue where I could buy a bus ticket.  I had to beg the driver to let me on because I had no way of buying a ticket.

Despite the drama and disappointment, there was one good experience.

2 Things I Loved in Bariloche

Number 1:  La Cruz Cerveceria

My friend Ariel from Buena Birra Buenos Aires told me that La Cruz Cerveceria is a must-visit.

Since I only had time to do one thing in Bariloche, I made beer my priority.

I finally found a really good IPA!!

And I impressed some Argentines with my knowledge of Lunfardo (Argentine slang).

Number 2:  The Best Raspberries EVER!

I realize that bad timing was to blame for most of my stress in Bariloche.

I haven’t written off Bariloche forever.

6 Reasons To Go Back

Number 1:  It is beautiful.

I got a glimpse of how beautiful it is on the bus out of town.  We’ll just have to work on that whole Chilean volcano issue first.

Number 2:  The 60km Circuito Chico Bike Ride

I found out about this from Blake who responded to my Facebook request for Patagonia suggestions.

Number 3:  Explore the area outside the tourist center.

The center of town is super-touristy.  It is filled with over-priced sports/ adventure gear shops and over-priced restaurants.  But when I took the bus to La Cruz Cerveceria, I saw that the town changes as you get outside the center and wind through the hills.

I think this is where the charm is.

Number 4:  Kayak on the Lake

I love kayaking, and I rarely get a chance to do it.  I cannot think of a more beautiful place (you know, if that whole ash cloud issue goes away).

Number 5:  Enjoy my Hobbit Hole Hostel

I stayed at a strange and quaint hostel that was like a hobbit hole in a magical forest.

It had the biggest and most well-equipped kitchen I have ever seen in a hostel.

And the people that stayed there were all very friendly and laid-back.  They liked to trek, cook healthy meals, and relax. (Yep, full of hippies).

Number 6:  There Is More Beer to Try

So that sums up my 3 days in Bariloche.

The bad, the good, and what I will do when I go back.

Have you been to Bariloche before the ashes?  What did you enjoy most?

Comments

    • I was certainly pissed off about it, but I am learning to realize that everything does not go as planned in Latin America. When I realized I was about to buy the last seat on the bus, I was just thankful to get it.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..Will Hike for Beer

  3. It’s a shame that you had only three days to experience Bariloche. Consider it a preview for your next visit.

    Melbourne and indeed all public transport in the state of Victoria unfortunately is moving towards an electronic card system called Myki over the next year to 19 months just like Bariloche. In the meantime there are two systems in place; the new electronic Myki smartcard and the old but trusted magnetic strip ticket called Metcard. Myki is cheaper and I’d wholly recommend it for any stay in Melbourne of two weeks or greater because not only will you quickly get your money back on your ticket but you will also save considerably compared to buy the Metcard tickets. More info on Myki can be found at http://www.myki.com.au . Myki currently only works on public transport in Melbourne and on town buses in the regional areas. The trains between Melbourne and the regional areas are run by a government owned company called V/Line and they still run on paper tickets for the time being.

    As for Bariloche not being a runner friendly town I can tell you that Melbourne definitely is. There is a very popular running track called The Tan that runs around the Botanical Gardens and is frequently by many many people during the day especially when the weather is nice. There is a group of people who run around The Tan once a month and all the money raised goes to charity. You pay to join them and you get an official time of how you went each time you do. If you’re a budget conscious person like me and most people in Melbourne you’d probably just like to find the map and run it yourself in your own time. Both are available through this link here http://www.starttofinish.com.au/default.aspx?s=eventdisplay&id=1102 .

    As for the public transport in Melbourne it is hit and miss. The trains are practically a no go zone during peak hour as you’re highly unlikely to get a seat and sometimes you won’t be able to even get into the train at all. And if there is an accident or somebody gets hit by a train or a technical malfunction which happens every fortnight or so the whole system can go into meltdown. The buses are also a bit hit and miss but that is because the timetables and frequencies vary. You need to know the times of the routes you are taking before you get to the bus stop. Luckily timetabling information is available here http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/ . The trams on the other hand are good and getting better, except again during peak hour when you’ll struggle to find a seat. Be aware though the trams generally only run in the inner east of Melbourne and the northern suburbs. The west and the south generally miss out altogether.

    I must admit that we don’t have quirky hostels here in Australia like what you’ve experienced in Argentina. Nothing hobbit like here. Just the run of the mill hostels here.

    Whilst I’ve been talking about public transport in Melbourne there is one important service to tell you about. That’s the Skybus that runs between Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine and Southern Cross station in the central business district. It runs 24/7 at about 10 minute intervals and is designed specifically for travelers. And it’s much cheaper than a taxi fare from a guy who can barely speak English. And believe me most of them barely speak English and don’t know their own way around Melbourne let alone where to drive you to. The Skybus website is here http://www.skybus.com.au/ . Note that it also provides a service where you can be dropped off and I believe picked up at selected hostels. Make sure you look at the website before you book your accommodation. It may become a deciding factor.

      • I think you might be onto something there. One of my friend’s Shamash Alidina who wrote two of the biggest selling dummies books; Mindfulness For Dummies and Relaxation For Dummies keeps asking me when I’m going to write a book. I was going to wait until I was much older and had a lot more wisdom than I do now so that I would have something meaningful to contribute to the world and to peoples lives. But now that you said it I may have to reconsider. Any book that I write about my experiences will have a lot of Melbourne in it because I’ve lived so much of my life in that city.

        If you get sick of running around The Tan in Melbourne there are plenty of other places to run, like the beach along Port Phillip Bay or along the Yarra River or even around Albert Park Lake; the home of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix. And if you get sick of running altogether Melbourne has an extensive bike path network that is growing all the time. Here is a link to a map that demonstrates how extensive the bike path network is in Melbourne. The bike paths are highlighted in red http://www.bikepaths.com.au/map/show/1 .

  6. What a load pof twaddle.
    Rich yank follows the lonely planet book on guided tours and makes out she’s one of the great explorers.

    The clue is in the name, Travel Chica…

  7. I’m just wondering why you go trough so much trouble with the visa: if you’re visa expires, you just have to pay the fine leaving the country (300 pesos). It’s the same you have to pay for extending your tourist visa.

    It happened to me about 3 times (once leaving via BA, once via Salta and once via Iguazu), they were always very cool about it, I just told them I had some troubles processing my residency (they get it, they know administration is slow lol, and it wasn’t a lie)

  8. Ahh, los feriados… I couldn’t believe how everything completely shuts down on holidays. I hope that ash cloud clears out soon, I hear it’s giving the tourism industry a hard time around those parts. It really does look like a beautiful place to visit.
    Audrey recently posted..Scenes from Rural Bolivia

  9. Glad you finally made it to Bariloche. When were you there – or I should say is the place still full of ash today?

    You stayed at the second nicest hostel in town. Nothing beats 1004. possibly the best view of any accommodation in Argentina, regardless of price.

    If you wanted to add another reason to return – the Nahuel Huapi Traverse is one of the best multiday hikes in the country. Its probably my favorite but I did it offseason when the crowds were small. Might get hectic when its busy.
    Jeff Bartlet recently posted..A New Year of Adventure Photography

    • From what I have heard from other travelers as well as my recent visit, ashes pass through very frequently. The volcano just keeps spewing ashes. Every morning I noticed a thing layer of ash on everything outside. You could see the ash covering the ground. I was kicking it up in the air when I went running.

      Thanks for the tip on the hike. I think I would enjoy Bariloche more during the offseason.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..Will Hike for Beer

  10. Nice! We actually missed La Cruz, unfortunately… we were not as impressed by Bariloche than we thought we would be. We were exhausted after coming from Torres del Paine and El Chalten and the weather was cold and rainy. Definitely need to give it a chance another time in better conditions.
    Andrea recently posted..Signs of the Times

  11. Same thing happened to us! We fell in love with Bolson and stayed awhile. We did visit Bariloche for just a couple of nights and decided to continue south to El Chalten. If you go to Puerto Natales check out Bagaules Brew Pub – great ESB style beer on tap!

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