The Circuito Chico is the short loop west of Bariloche, along the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi and back through the forest. It fits into half a day. This guide is for you if you are deciding which half of the day to give it, what to expect from the chairlift, and whether to do it by car, by bus or not at all.
Morning or afternoon
You choose a 07:00 or a 13:00 start. The right one depends more on the sky than on your schedule.
Bariloche weather comes from the west, off the Pacific, and the wind is part of it. Spring tends to be windier and drier, autumn calmer but wetter. Summer days are long, with light until about ten at night, so an afternoon start in December or January still leaves you plenty of evening. In winter the days are short and cold, and snow is frequent, so the morning slot gives you more daylight to work with.
The one stop that really depends on visibility is Cerro Campanario. If the top is in cloud when you pass, your driver can swap the order and go up on the way back instead. That is easier to do when the car is yours and the day is not fixed to a timetable.
A practical tip: look out of the window at breakfast. If the far shore of the lake is sharp, go early. If it is grey but lifting, the afternoon may be the better bet.
What the half day holds
The full loop is about 60 kilometres. It follows Avenida Bustillo out of town along the lake, passes the base of Campanario, goes round the Llao Llao peninsula, crosses the bridge where Nahuel Huapi meets Lago Moreno, and comes back past the viewpoint over Lago Moreno. It is not a long drive. Most of the four hours goes on the stops.
Cerro Campanario
The chairlift starts at about kilometre 17.5 of Avenida Bustillo, at around 1,050 metres. The ride is slow, about seven minutes. At the top there are several lookouts with a view in every direction: the lake, Isla Victoria, the San Pedro and Huemul peninsulas, and Cerro López close in front. There is a café up there too. The chairlift ticket is not part of the tour, so you pay it at the base.
Llao Llao and Puerto Pañuelo
Alejandro Bustillo chose this spot for the hotel partly because it had a port. The first building opened in January 1938 and burned down in October 1939. The hotel you see now reopened in December 1940, built of cypress logs with larch tiles. Below it is Puerto Pañuelo, the pier where the lake boats leave. The chapel of San Eduardo is next to the hotel, small and wooden, above the water.
Punto Panorámico and Colonia Suiza
The Punto Panorámico is a photo stop, a few minutes with the camera over Lago Moreno and the peninsula. Colonia Suiza, about 20 kilometres from the centre, is the slower one. The Goye family is among the oldest in the area, and they trace their curanto, a meal of meat and vegetables cooked in a pit over white-hot stones, back to 1895. The curanto takes over an hour to cook, so a meal of it does not fit easily into four hours.
By bus, by bike or in a private car
You can do much of this on public transport. City bus line 20 runs from the terminal and the centre to Llao Llao. Lines 10 and 51 go to Colonia Suiza. Buses are paid with a SUBE card, which you can buy at kiosks or at the office in the Centro Cívico. Check routes and frequencies on the official city bus site before you rely on them.
What you lose is the joining up. Different stops sit on different lines, so linking Campanario, Llao Llao, the viewpoint and Colonia Suiza in one afternoon means planning connections and waiting at roadside stops between them.
A private car takes the waiting out. The driver collects you at your hotel, waits at each stop and drops you where you want at the end: your hotel, a chocolate shop or a restaurant in the centre. Because it is private, the order can change on the day. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to bring
- A warm layer and a windproof jacket, even in summer. The top of Campanario is exposed, and the wind off the lake is cold.
- Sunglasses and sun cream. The light on the water is strong.
- Shoes you can walk in, for the lookouts at the top of Campanario and the short walk to the chapel.
- Local cash or a card for the chairlift, coffee and anything you buy in Colonia Suiza.
Who it suits
It works well on your first day, when you want to see how the lakes and mountains fit together before you choose longer trips. It also works on your last afternoon, before an evening flight, since you are back in town after four hours.
Families with young children get a short day with plenty of stops. People who find walking hard can see most of it from the car and the viewpoints, though the chairlift involves getting on and off a moving seat. If that is a concern, stay at the base and let the rest of the group go up.
Groups of more than 16 travel in two vehicles on one booking. Message us and we will price it.
Questions people ask
Can we go into the Llao Llao Hotel?
The stop is for the view of the hotel and the pier. A meal there is not part of the half day, and food is not included.
Is it worth doing if we also book the full day?
No. Our Bariloche in a day tour already covers Llao Llao, the viewpoint and Colonia Suiza, then adds Cerro Otto and Cerro Catedral. Choose one or the other.
What if the weather turns?
The loop is drivable in rain. If the cloud is down on Campanario, we stop on the way back or skip it.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you get a full refund. See our cancellation page.
Booking the half day
If you are still choosing between our trips from town, our guide to day trips from Bariloche sets them side by side. For pick-up details, what is included and to choose your group size, go to the Circuito Chico and Cerro Campanario private tour page.
