Seven Lakes Route (166 km)

San Martin de los Andes to Villa La Angostura · one way, about 166 km back to the start

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Why this ride

166 km from San Martín de los Andes to Villa La Angostura, about 2 h 14 of riding. On the way it passes Lago Machonico, Lago Falkner and Lago Escondido. The highest point is about 1,400 m. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.

Roadbook

1. San Martin de los Andes start

   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.

2. Lago Machonico scenic

   The Seven Lakes Route, the Ruta de los Siete Lagos, is the great drive of Argentine Patagonia, and Lago Machónico is one of its small, quiet jewels. The road, a section of Route 40, runs for about a hundred kilometres between San Martín de los Andes and Villa La Angostura, passing seven lakes, big and small, through thick forest, with snow-covered peaks showing in the gaps. Machónico is a modest lake, tucked among trees, with a dark blue surface and a rim of reeds, and it seems to belong to the forest rather than to the road.

   The forest here is the southern beech, with lenga, coihue and ñire, and in places the Patagonian cypress. In autumn, the lenga turns red and gold, which makes the route especially beautiful in April and May. The undergrowth includes the caña colihue, a type of bamboo, and the red flowers of the notro, a shrub that blooms in spring. Condors and ducks are common, and the lakes hold trout, brought in from North America in the early twentieth century and now beloved by anglers. The air smells of damp earth, bark and pine resin.

   Much of this land is protected within Lanín and Nahuel Huapi National Parks, and the great cone of Lanín volcano, 3,776 metres high, dominates the northern horizon. The Mapuche people have lived here for centuries, and the names of the lakes and mountains are theirs. The road itself was paved in recent decades, so the whole route is now smooth tarmac, with easy curves and a few steep sections. Rain, fog and sudden cold are all possible, and ice can form in the morning in winter, so check conditions. In high summer, the route is busy with tourists, with slow-moving cars and buses, so an early start is wise.

   Nature is the point, and the stops are many. There are viewpoints, waterfalls and small beaches, where you can paddle in water that is cold even in January. Picnic tables stand beside several lakes, and a few cabins serve hot drinks and snacks. Do not expect big services, because this is a protected area.

   San Martín de los Andes, twenty-two kilometres from here, is the nearest town with fuel, restaurants and supplies, and it is a pleasant lakeside resort. Villa La Angostura, at the other end, also has fuel. Fill up before setting off, and carry a layer for the wind.

3. Lago Falkner scenic

   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.

4. Lago Escondido scenic

   Lago Escondido, the Hidden Lake, lives up to its name, tucked away in the forest on the Seven Lakes Route near Villa La Angostura, and glimpsed through the trees on the road. The water is a deep, clear blue-green, and the shores are thick with beech and cypress, with mountain slopes climbing steeply from the far bank. A small lookout allows a view across the lake, and on calm mornings the surface mirrors the forest.

   The district has a strong character. Villa La Angostura sits on the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi, a vast glacial lake that stretches toward Bariloche, and its name, the Village of the Narrow Place, refers to the thin neck of land that links it to the Quetrihué peninsula. On that peninsula stands the Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes, a forest of arrayán trees, with cinnamon-coloured bark that is cool and smooth to the touch, and some of the trees are hundreds of years old. A short river, the Correntoso, links the lake of that name to Nahuel Huapi, and locals claim it as one of the shortest rivers in the world.

   In June 2011, the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano, across the border in Chile, covered the region in ash, and for a while, the area looked like another planet. The vegetation has recovered, but traces of the eruption linger, and the grey dust can still be found in places, a reminder that the Andes are alive. The land here is still being shaped by fire and ice.

   For riding, the stretch from Villa La Angostura, along the Seven Lakes Route, is a delight, with a good surface, long bends, forest and lake views, and little traffic outside the holiday seasons. The road does have steep stretches and sudden changes in the weather, with rain, fog and cold winds. Wildlife, including deer, foxes and cattle, can wander onto the road. In winter, snow and ice may close the road, and chains may be needed.

   Villa La Angostura, twenty-seven kilometres away, has fuel, restaurants and a gentle, alpine feel, with chocolate shops and cafes. Bariloche, about eighty kilometres away, is the larger city. Fill up before leaving, and carry some food and warm clothing.

5. Villa La Angostura finish

   Villa La Angostura is a small town of about seven and a half thousand people on the north shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi, in the Patagonian Andes of Neuquén province, and it has the air of a Swiss resort that was built with local timber and stone. The name means the narrow village, from the slim isthmus that joins the town's peninsula to the mainland. It was founded in the 1930s, and the log-and-stone chalets, chocolate shops and smokehouses give it a cosy character. To the east, the city of Bariloche lies about eighty kilometres away along the lake.

   The lake itself is a huge, deep body of glacial water, with long arms reaching into forested mountains, and it lies within Nahuel Huapi National Park, the country's first, created in the 1930s from land donated by the explorer Francisco Moreno. On the Quetrihué peninsula, the Los Arrayanes forest holds myrtle trees with smooth, cinnamon-coloured bark that feels cool and slightly damp to the touch. Behind the town, Cerro Bayo is a ski area in winter and a viewpoint in summer. The air smells of cypress, wet earth and woodsmoke.

   For riders, the town is the start or finish of the Seven Lakes Route, the stretch of Route 40 that runs about a hundred kilometres north to San Martín de los Andes. The road is paved, with good surface and gentle to tight bends, climbing through beech and cypress forest with lakes appearing and disappearing between the trees. Traffic can be heavy in January and February, and rain and fog are common. In winter, snow and ice can close sections. Volcanic ash from a 2011 eruption of a volcano on the Chilean side once blanketed the area, and the landscape has since recovered. The best seasons are late spring and autumn, when the colours of the lenga beech turn red and gold.

   Practically, the town has several fuel stations, supermarkets, restaurants serving smoked trout, Patagonian lamb and artisan beer, and plenty of hotels and cabins. Prices rise in summer, so book ahead. The Chilean border at Paso Cardenal Samoré is not far to the west, and crossing needs passports, vehicle papers and sometimes patience. Fuel stations are scarce on the Seven Lakes road itself, so fill up before leaving.

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