Lago Falkner is one of the quieter jewels of the Seven Lakes Route, the road that links San Martín de los Andes and Villa La Angostura through the Argentine Lake District. It sits at about nine hundred metres, a long narrow lake pinned between steep forested slopes, and the water is a deep greenish-blue that changes with the light. A small viewpoint and a few beaches along the shore let you stop without fuss.
The lake carries the name of Thomas Falkner, an English Jesuit who lived in Patagonia in the eighteenth century and wrote one of the first detailed accounts of the region and its peoples. The mountains around bear the lines of old glaciers, which carved this chain of lakes, and the forest is Nothofagus, a southern beech, with lenga on the high ground and coihue lower down. In autumn, around April, the lenga turns red, orange and gold, and the lake road is one of the great fall rides in the southern hemisphere.
For a motorcyclist, the road is a delight. The Ruta 40 and Ruta 234 stretch is fully paved now, a long run of smooth, flowing curves through forest, with frequent glimpses of blue water and snowy peaks in the distance. Traffic is light outside January and February, and the pace is relaxed. Watch for patches of gravel at the edges and for cattle in places, and take care in the shade, where moisture and moss can make the asphalt greasy. Winter brings snow and ice, and some sections require chains or may close.
The area is part of Nahuel Huapi National Park, the oldest in Argentina, founded in 1934. Wildlife is quieter than you might expect, but you may spot Andean condors, foxes and the occasional huemul in the more remote valleys. The air is cool and fresh, with a faint smell of wet leaves and wood smoke.
San Martín de los Andes, a town of twenty-three thousand about thirty-six kilometres away, and Villa La Angostura, about the same distance in the other direction, have stations, supermarkets and restaurants. Fill up before the run, carry a few snacks, and enjoy the quiet. Smoked trout, venison and craft beer are the regional treats.