Lago Espejo, the Mirror Lake, earns its name on still mornings, when the beech forest on the far shore and the snow on the peaks behind it are doubled in the water so perfectly that you lose the horizon. It sits in the Andes of Neuquen province, in Argentine Patagonia, on the Route of the Seven Lakes, the paved road that links Villa La Angostura and San Martin de los Andes. It lies about ten kilometres from Villa La Angostura, which is the nearest town of any size, and the place to buy fuel before setting out.
The road is the star. The Ruta de los Siete Lagos runs through the Nahuel Huapi and Lanin national parks for about a hundred kilometres, rising and dipping through forests of lenga, coihue and cypress, with a string of lakes appearing on either side and the peaks beyond. Tarmac is good, bends are long and flowing, and the road is wide enough to ride at an easy pace. Wind can gust across the lake shores, and rain and mist roll in quickly, sometimes with a chill that surprises you in summer. Traffic is heavy in January and February and on long weekends, so early mornings and late afternoons suit riders, as does the autumn, when the lenga forests turn red and gold. Winter brings snow and ice to the higher sections, and the road is sometimes closed or needs chains.
The area belongs to the Mapuche people, whose ancestors lived and hunted around these lakes for centuries before Spanish and later Argentine settlers arrived, and many place names, such as Correntoso and Lacar, reflect that history. The region was a frontier until the late nineteenth century, when the military campaign of 1879 pushed the indigenous population south, and the creation of Argentina's national parks in the early twentieth century shaped the region's tourism. Today the lakes are a favourite for fishing, with trout and salmon introduced in the last century.
Nature is serene and varied. The forest smells of damp earth and resin, with ferns and bamboo thickets at the base of the trees, and the cry of the Magellanic woodpecker can be heard in the old beech. Condors sometimes soar above the peaks, and the water is cold, clear and an astonishing green or blue depending on the light. A pebbly beach on the lake makes a fine place to sit for a few minutes.
Fill up in Villa La Angostura, since fuel is scarce along the route. Bring a warm jacket and a camera, and take your time.