Lago Puelo – Forests, Trails and Culture

Lago Puelo brings together Andean-Patagonian forests, rivers, mountains and the lake that gives the town its name. Nature experiences range from short walks through wooded areas to moderate hikes that take a full day or even two days. There are also places where you can learn about the region’s history and its handicrafts. This makes it possible to shape your trip around your preferred pace: with shorter nature visits, longer hikes or time for culture and regional products.

Experience Forest Trails and Water

La Pasarela del Río Azul is a natural swimming area offering ways to relax by the water and trekking trails of varying length and difficulty. The suspension bridge may only be used on foot or by bicycle; its maximum capacity is eight people. Of the two suspension bridges over the Río Azul, it is closer to the town center. This information helps you distinguish a visit to the river from longer hikes, without combining the different routes into a single loop.

For a shorter stay in the forest, consider the Jardín botánico: the area is easy, and a visit is expected to take about one to one and a half hours. There you will see a forest of native trees and old poplars, as well as oaks and maples planted by earlier residents. Wooden boardwalks run through a flooded section. The Bosque de las sombras also passes through a flooded forest. This easy trail has wooden boardwalks and takes about 30 minutes. The main differences between the two trails are therefore their stated visit durations and the forest landscapes they pass through.

The Circuito El Faldeo-El Chucao passes through a mixed forest of cypress and coihue trees. The full route is approximately 3,800 meters long; the El Chucao section measures 1,200 meters. If you are planning a longer hike, Gendarmería is a moderate full-day trek of approximately 24 kilometers, taking about ten hours round trip. It begins at the crossing of the Pasarela del Río Azul, follows the river’s west bank and extends into Parque Nacional Lago Puelo. Los Hitos is also moderate, but is designed as a two-day hike: the route is approximately 32 kilometers round trip, reaches the Chilean border and leads to the source of the Río Puelo. The durations and distances show how much these hikes differ.

History and Handicrafts

The town’s history is also part of Lago Puelo’s character. Its local identity includes an Indigenous history dating back more than 8,000 years and the later arrival of settlers and migrants, mainly from Chile. The Museo Memoria del Bosque presents the Indigenous past and the era of the pioneers through tools and ways of life. The Sendero de los Antiguos Pobladores offers another cultural perspective along a trail through town: it runs for almost one kilometer between the streets El Cóndor and Cauken. El Cóndor was formerly called Callejón de Moya or La Lydia; Cauken was formerly known as Callejón de Graciano. The trail is designated as historical, cultural and natural heritage, as well as a cultural landscape.

The Feria artesanal Lago Puelo is an association of artisans and handicrafts from the Andean region, with the aim of promoting handcrafted work. The collective represents, among other crafts, ceramics, alpaca and silver jewelry, glasswork, weaving and leatherwork, as well as musical instruments. Chocolate, ice cream and craft beer are also among Lago Puelo’s products, offering a taste of regional produce.

Different Ways to Spend the Day

Guided horseback rides are offered in and around Parque Nacional Lago Puelo, ranging in duration from one hour to a full day. This means that, alongside the hiking trails, there are also horseback excursions of varying lengths. When planning your vacation, you can weigh up whether to focus on shorter nature visits, a longer hike, culture or a guided horseback ride. Lago Puelo has a wide range of tourist services, accommodation, dining and excursions.

Lago Puelo is accessible from both the north and south via the fully paved Ruta Nacional 40. If you are looking for a vacation rental in Lago Puelo, you can use the nature and cultural activities described here as a guide to the kind of stay you want, without treating different trails or excursions as one connected route.

You can also explore more destination pages: Leleque, Golondrinas, Gualjaina, El Maitén and Epuyén.

For the broader travel overview: Departamento Cushamen.