The Lake Districts of Argentina and Chile

Leaving Chile

It was a bit tricky, but Mark and I managed to get a vet check-up and international dog permit for Maya in Futaleufú over the span of three hours and for a total cost of $28. Unfortunately, unlike her other permits, this one was only valid for 30 instead of 60 days. It would keep us moving!

The same afternoon, we left the country and crossed into Argentina on washboard roads, aiming for six things in one week: sunnier weather on the other side of the Andes Mountains, better roads, cheaper fuel, no ferry schedules/costs that were mandatory on the Carretera Austral, an affordable laundromat, and a full propane tank. After accomplishing those goals, we’d return to Chile for about three weeks.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

In Esquel, our first town in Argentina, we failed dropping off our laundry and it took multiple attempts to find a decent camping spot. We did manage to fill our fuel and water tanks for almost half the price than in Chile!

The next stop was Rio Azul, where we planned to take a mini-break from the road for a few days and sit out bad weather. We did have to move once, because it rained so much that the river rose rapidly and we worried about being flooded.

Bariloche, Argentina

The idea was to – urgently – fill our propane tank at a depot on the way north to Bariloche. We were now on paved roads, the sun had returned, and progress was smooth. We had confirmed this depot was open on a Saturday morning, but when we arrived, desperate for gas to cook, shower, and heat Bella, the people capable of filling international tanks didn’t work during the weekend. The facility was only open to swap Argentinian tanks… Right.

We rushed towards Bariloche, the biggest town on our Argentinian route, to check three more potential propane gas providers before lunchtime and weekend closures. We hate cities, so it was never the plan to drive our large camper through congested Bariloche, but here we were. When we eventually found a hardware store that gravity-filled tanks, the prices had doubled since a few months ago! In Ushuaia, the middle of nowhere, we’d paid less than $20 for a full tank. Here, in the Argentinian Lake District, the cost was $50 for the same privilege! We bought four kilos – about half a tank – to last another month before we’d return to this country. We had to be careful again!

Bariloche has a bad reputation for car break-ins and robberies. Because of those warnings and our aversion of cities, we only stayed for lunch. It was windy, so we ate our sandwiches inside Thirsty Bella.

Villa La Angostura

Villa La Angostura was our main destination in Argentina, this time around. It is located close to the Chilean border. We spent three nights in town, at different locations. Our first night of free camping took place at a parking lot near a river trail and lake. The place was packed, so we postponed our explorations until the next morning.

Later that day, we got stuck in narrow alleys, trying to reach a trail in the woods, only accessible via bumpy roads and a paid parking lot. We almost bailed, but eventually succeeded in finding this place. We made and packed our lunches and set out for a strenuous hike to a viewpoint and a barely visible waterfall. Maybe we should have bailed as this was a lot of effort for little to no rewards. I guess we all had an afternoon of exercise!

That evening, we parked by a pretty lake and the shortest river in Argentina. The colors of this river were gorgeous. The area was extremely busy with cars and families, but it quietened down that Sunday evening. Cars did drive by throughout the night, though, so we moved again the following morning.

On our last day in Villa La Angostura – a weekday – we dropped off our biggest pieces of laundry at a professional yet affordable laundromat on the outskirts of town, worked, and ran errands. We found an amazing bakery across the street, so we bought sourdough breads full of grains to last a few days.

That evening, an Argentinian van squeezed in between us and the next car, making it almost impossible to enter and exit our home, as our door pretty much touched their van. There was little room between it and our steps. And, there was plenty of space elsewhere in this parking lot. This behavior annoys us, but, since this is apparently our problem, we moved before darkness set in.

Coñaripe, Chile

Our idea was to spend a couple of weeks in the attractive-sounding lake region of Chile, because we needed a break from the pace, challenges, and discomfort of being on the road almost every day. Mark and I even looked into renting an Airbnb for a week to breathe – and do more laundry – but the price was high for what you’d get. Our camper looked more comfortable than some of these cabins!

By the time we crossed the border, our fridge was empty and our fresh produce was eaten. That’s the law when entering Chile – no fresh goods can be imported. So, our first stop in the decent-sized town of Osorno was a happy one. We found amazing produce and foodstuffs and loaded up. Since this was to be our last Chilean city, we stocked up on some specialty items as well – for us and Maya.

Then, we arrived at our first beach of choice, the red volcanic gravel along Lago Calafquén in Coñaripe. It was tricky to get into this area and Mark had to cut some bushes and trees for our wide vehicle to enter. Once we were settled, however, this spot worked out perfectly. While we didn’t expect this to become a major stop, we ended up staying here longer than anywhere else in over a year (eight nights) and watching other overlanders come and go.

The Lake Region in Chile is heavily developed and there aren’t a lot of options for free camping. What made this place special was that we managed to get settled on the “front row” (all the areas around us consisted of loose sand and gravel others could get stuck on), the lake had a pleasant temperature, it was finally warm weather, and town, with its incredible produce stores, was within walking distance! We also found blackberries for our Sunday pancake breakfast.

This was the site where we tried to perform all our “Airbnb tasks.” We aired out the camper and everything it contained, we got rid of the mold, we did a spring – or better, autumn – cleaning, and we handwashed, rinsed, and dried clothes every single day in the warmish lake water. Mark found a stick long and pointy enough to bury in the rocks for a clothes line.

We made new friends as well, a German couple that we got along with very well. The four of us shared happy hours and one exquisite dinner. Unexpectedly, this place provided us with wonderful moments and memories and we also caught up on work and other computer chores.

Villarrica

On the day we left Coñaripe, we stopped in the city of Villarrica for some shopping and errands. We even enjoyed a walk with Maya along the waterfront on this sunny, warm day.

Villarrica Volcano

We decided to postpone a visit to Pucon, except to fill up with potable water and gasoline, and camped on a large, free parking lot with a wonderful view of the volcano. Unfortunately, by morning, Volcan Villarrica had disappeared into the mist, rain, and clouds.

Parking in Pucon didn’t work out and it was raining, so we skipped this tourist destination all together and moved on to our next lake. It was the weekend again.

Caburgua

A small detour to the village of Caburgua and its namesake lake brought mixed feelings. We had a nice view of the lake and Maya loved running on the extensive, sandy beach, but it was windy, dusty, and dirty, so we only stayed two nights. We witnessed a ceremony by a group of indigenous Mapuche Indians, but never figured out what it was for.

Northern Caburgua Lake

Our very last destination in Chile was the north side of Lago Caburgua, basically “the other side” of where we’d previously camped. Yet, this trek brought us back to Pucon, through Villarrica, and over some pavement but mostly really bad roads for five hours. Just the last stretch of 20 miles took two hours! And it was insanely windy, creating extra road obstructions. At the end, paradise awaited…

Remote and little visited, the grassy meadows were frequented by cows and the occasional human. We loved our first camping spot with lake and river view, but, unfortunately, the wind picked up insanely, so we had to move. The camper shook so much – even with our nose into the wind – that we couldn’t sleep and Maya was super anxious.

So, we spent our last three nights among the blackberry bushes, a bit better protected, and still alongside the creek and grassy patches. We worked, rested, and walked. One day, it was warm enough to give Maya (and myself) a bath in the icy river.

When more wind and rain – and snow in the mountains and therefore the pass of our next border post – were predicted, we left the area prematurely to avoid getting stuck. At our camping spot. And in Chile. Maya’s paperwork was only valid for a few more days, so we returned to Argentina one more time.

I’ll leave you with a “bonus” video of our blackberry-loving dog, Maya! 😊

Next up: Coming full circle in Mendoza, Argentina

Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir: