San Martín de los Andes lies at the eastern end of Lake Lácar, in a pocket of Patagonian forest, and the town itself feels as though it were assembled from the surrounding trees: steep-roofed wooden chalets, carved signs, the smell of woodsmoke in the cooler months. It began in 1898 as a military post, one of the forts established in the conquest of the Mapuche lands, and grew into a mountain resort of around twenty-three thousand people. The Mapuche presence is still strong in the region, and the Lanín volcano, which rises to 3,776 metres above the lake district, is sacred to them.
This is the northern gate of the Seven Lakes Route, the stretch of Ruta 40 that runs roughly a hundred kilometres south to Villa La Angostura. The lakes are Lácar, Machónico, Falkner, Villarino, Escondido, Correntoso and Espejo, though you will pass others and lose count. The road follows them through southern beech forest, lenga and coihue and the odd monkey-puzzle tree, and in autumn the leaves turn deep red and orange, a rival for anything in New England. It is a winding, rolling road with easy gradients, and by now it is paved the whole way; some side tracks, however, are still gravel, and rain can leave the paving slick and strewn with branches.
Riding it is a matter of rhythm. Most of the corners are medium-speed and well sighted, but trucks, tourists in rental cars and the occasional cyclist keep the pace honest, and in high summer the lay-bys at the viewpoints fill with minibuses. Go early and the water is flat, the light low and gold, and the only traffic is the delivery vans. Weather swings from sun to rain within an hour, and nights are cold even in January, so keep a warm layer in the luggage. Winter can bring snow to the higher parts and sometimes closes the road.
In town you will find all you need: several fuel stations, cafes, a busy main street of chocolate shops and smoked-meat sellers, and a lakeside promenade for watching the sun go down. The next fuel is at Villa La Angostura, a long way south, so fill up before you leave. Try trout or venison with a local craft beer, and buy a bag of the chocolate for the road.