El Bolsón is the valley town south of Bariloche where people go for the craft fair, the farms and a slower pace, and Lago Puelo is the national park just beyond it. This guide is for you if you are choosing a day of the week, deciding between a market morning and a lake afternoon, or wondering what the drive south is like.
Pick the day of the week first
The most useful thing to plan is the day. The Feria Regional of El Bolsón runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and on public holidays, from mid-morning until late afternoon. Come on one of those days if you can. On a Monday, Wednesday or Friday you still have the town and the lake, but the main reason many people make the trip will not be there.
The fair is in front of Plaza Pagano, at the foot of Cerro Piltriquitrón. It became official in 1979, after years of local craftspeople and small farmers meeting informally. It now has around 400 stalls, rising to about 600 in summer, with makers from El Bolsón and the surrounding villages: Lago Puelo, El Hoyo, Cholila, Epuyén, El Maitén and Ñorquinco.
What you find there: wood, leather, metal, wool, ceramics, stained glass and dried flowers; jams, chocolates, cheeses, vegetables and berries; local beers, wines and liqueurs; hand-forged knives, candles and natural soaps and creams. Bring local cash or a card for small purchases, and room in your bag.
When to go in the year
Summer is the busy season. The fair is at its biggest, and Lago Puelo is warm enough to swim: the lake sits at only about 200 metres above sea level, among the lowest points in the Andes, and its water can reach around 20°C in summer. Air temperatures in the valley can climb into the mid-thirties.
February is festival time. The town has hosted the Fiesta Nacional del Lúpulo, the national hop festival, in the second half of the month. Check this year's dates, and expect more people around them.
Winter is cold, with snow on the hills around the park. Snow chains may be needed on the road south, and we check it the day before. The lake is for looking at rather than swimming.
Spring is windy and dry, autumn calmer and wetter. Either works for the fair and a walk by the lake; pack for rain in autumn.
How the day fits together
El Bolsón is about 130 kilometres south of Bariloche on Route 40. You are collected at 07:00, and the road runs past Lagos Gutiérrez, Mascardi and Guillelmo before dropping into the valley. You reach El Bolsón at about 09:30 and the fair at 10:00, which is when the stalls are opening.
From there you go on to Lago Puelo National Park, about 16 kilometres away, at around 11:30. From the village of Lago Puelo, a gravel road of about 4 kilometres leads to the lake shore. Lunch is in Lago Puelo or El Bolsón, at your own expense, and you head north at about 15:00, back at your hotel at about 17:00.
The day is private, so you can split the time differently. Stay longer at the fair if you are buying; give more time to the lake if the weather is warm.
Lago Puelo National Park
The park is in Chubut province, close to the Chilean border, in the area known as the Comarca Andina del Paralelo 42. It covers more than 27,000 hectares and became a national park in its own right in 1971, after years as an annex of Los Alerces. It sits where the Patagonian Andean forest meets the Valdivian rainforest, and the lake drains through the Puelo river to the Pacific.
The lake is turquoise, coloured by glacial sediment carried down by the rivers that feed it. There are small beaches of fine sand near the shore, and paths that range from half an hour to multi-day treks; on this day you stay with the short walks along the shore. Boats run across the lake to Los Hitos, at its north-west end, in season. The ticket is not included; your driver waits.
The park charges an access fee, valid for 72 hours for the same person, though it has at times suspended the charge. Its official page asks visitors to check with the park before they come.
On your own or with a driver
El Bolsón is on Route 40, the main road south, and you can drive it yourself in a hire car. The harder part is joining the town, the fair and the park in one day and getting back the same evening. With a private car the driver collects you at your hotel, waits at the fair and at the lake, and the timing is yours.
What to bring
- Layers. You leave Bariloche early, when it is cool, and summer afternoons by the lake can be hot.
- Swimwear in summer, for the lake.
- Sun cream and a hat for the fair and the shore.
- Comfortable shoes for the fair and the shore paths.
- Local cash or a card for the stalls.
Who it suits
It suits people who have already seen the lakes around Bariloche and want something more rural, and anyone who likes a market. It is a good choice for families: the fair is easy to walk round, and the lake has beaches in summer.
The steam train, La Trochita, runs from El Maitén on set days. Ask us and we will check if it fits.
Groups of more than 16 travel in two vehicles on one booking. You can cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up for a full refund; see our cancellation page.
Booking the day
To compare this with the lakes and roads north of Bariloche, see our guide to day trips from Bariloche. For the stops and timings, and to choose your group size, go to the El Bolsón and Lago Puelo private day trip page.
