We spent our first afternoon in Bariloche by the lake, reading and swimming before grabbing dinner in a casual spot called Morfy’s. A triathlon had taken place earlier in the day, and we found ourselves sitting right by the finish line, where locals had gathered to cheer on the athletes as they completed the final stretch.

The following morning, we drove down to El Bolsón, where we would spend two nights. Aside from reading up on the hippie roots of this small town (a group of students, partly inspired by the movement in the US, formed in 1967 to protest the oppressive dictatorship in Argentina at the time and El Bolsón became something of a haven for them), we hadn’t done much by way of planning our time here.

“El Bolsón: Here the magic is natural”

Driving across the dusty roads of this sleepy, unassuming town, we soon realised this was a good thing. Several decades on since the first hippies congregated here in search of nature and counter-culture, the slow-moving, peace-and-love vibes persist, and it’s nice to go along with them.

Throughout the main part of town we saw more tributes to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo movement, with images of handkerchiefs appearing on pavements and in carvings.

There is great respect for quality, local produce and craftsmanship in El Bolsón. At the market, which runs 3 times a week in the main plaza, farmers sell organic fruit and vegetables, beekeepers sell honey and bee pollen and craftspeople and artisans sell leather goods, homemade skincare products and jewellery.

Around the town there are plenty of fresh vegan restaurants, a trout farm, a dairy farm which sells cheese, ice cream and milk and an apple orchard. We spent our first day visiting these different spots and sampling the various offerings. We even picked up a few trout for dinner, along with a bag of veg.

Our hostel, Casa del Odile, seemed to capture the essence of El Bolsón’s bohemian culture, with a hammock garden, yoga classes, and reflection area on the grounds. They also baked their own bread daily, and made raspberry jam and lavender oil. We spent an entire afternoon lazing with our books in the hammock garden, then cooked our trout for dinner.

Before leaving El Bolsón, we made a trip to Lago Puelo National Park to see Lake Puelo. Hikes are an optional part of this excursion but this time we opted out, choosing instead to simply lie by the lake and take in the beautiful views (naturally we had a few dogs for company, as has been the happy case everywhere we’ve been in Patagonia so far).

Rather than spend another afternoon in Bariloche, where we would spend our last night in Patagonia before flying to Mendoza, we decided to drive up to Villa la Angostura, another small town just an hour away. Although quite touristy, it was also cute and charming, and the views of the lakes along the way were gorgeous. We went for lunch in a small, family-run restaurant called Nicoletta, where trout popped up on the menu again, this time in the form of ravioli with fresh pesto. It was sublime. We then sat out by one of the lakes for an hour before driving back to Bariloche.

Next stop is Mendoza, where Stephen will take part in another product event and where we plan to consume as much wine as possible.

Ar aghaidh linn 🙂