Argentina - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 129

typically featureless, spread-out
Patagonian settlement whose main point
of interest is as a base for excursions to the
Cueva de las Manos Pintadas (see below).
West of town is Lago Buenos Aires (the
second-biggest lake in South America,
after Lake Titicaca) and, towards the
Chilean border, the pleasant town of
Los Antiguos .

Heritage Site, is easily accessible from
Perito Moreno via an organized day-trip
(around AR$400-450).

1

ACCOMMODAT ION
Estancia La Cueva de las Manos 7km off the RN40
T 011 5237 4043, W cuevasdelasmanos.net. The caves
are actually located inside this estancia 's perimeters. There
are dorms, private rooms and a restaurant, and staff can
organize transportation, horserides, hikes and trips to
nearby Cha rcamata , another rock-art site. Closed May-
Oct. Dorms AR$150 , doubles AR$640
Estancia Telken RN40 T 02963 432079, E telken
[e-mail]. This estancia , which dates back
to 1915, provides a good insight into life on a working
ranch. The rooms are decent and you can also camp in the
grounds. Hiking, birdwatching and horseriding t rips can
be arran ged. Clo sed May-Sept. Camping/person AR$90 ,
doubles AR$400

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus The bus terminal is a 10min walk north of town.
There are buses from here to Río Gallegos (1-2 daily;
14hr), among other destinations.
Destinations Nov-April Chaltén Travel buses ( W chalten
travel.com) stop outside the Hotel Belgrano , at the far end
of San Martín; the company has services to Bariloche (3-4
weekly; 13hr), El Chaltén (3-4 weekly; 13hr) and Puerto
Madryn (3-4 weekly; 14hr). During the same months,
Taqsa/Marga ( W taqsa.com.ar) also runs daily buses to
El Chaltén and Bariloche.

PARQUE NACIONAL PERITO
MORENO
Created in 1937, the PARQUE NACIONAL
PERITO MORENO covers over 11,500
square kilometres of windy Patagonian
steppe and stunning high-mountain
landscapes. Not to be confused with
the eponymous glacier (see p.142),
the national park is located just off
Ruta 40 towards the town of Gobernador
Gregores. The park is hard to get to
unless you have your own transport,
and you may find yourself alone among
the abundant wildlife, which includes
guanacos, flamingos and condors.
There are several enjoyable short hikes
(self-guided), which are not too
challenging. You'll need to register at
the park entrance (daily 8am-8pm; free)
before you set off.

INFORMAT ION AND TOURS
Tourist information The tourist o ce is on San Martín,
at Gendarmería Nacional (daily 8am-10pm; T 02963
432732).
Tour operators Guanacóndor, Perito Moreno 1087
( T 02963 432303, E [e-mail]), run trips
to the Cueva de las Manos Pintadas, as well as to Arroyo
Feo (Ugly Stream), an area of great beauty and archeo-
logical interest, 70km south of town.

ACCOMMODAT ION
Camping Municipal Mariano Moreno, at Paseo Julio A.
Roca T 02963 432130. This campsite lies off the shore of
Laguna de los Cisnes in the southern part of Perito Moreno.
As well as spots to pitch your te nt, ther e are sma ll, rustic
cabins. Camping/person AR$20 , cabaña AR$120
Posada del Caminante Rivadavia 937 T 02963 432204,
E [e-mail]. Accommodation in
Perito Moreno is neither abundant nor particularly good
value, but Posada del Caminante is a decent place to stay
for a night. Its en-suite roo ms are c lean, comfortable and
popular, so book in advance. AR$250

ACCOMMODAT ION
There are some basic camping grounds within the park
but there are no services and no fires are permitted. Other-
wise the two estancias which border the park provide
comfortable accommodation.
Estancia Menelik 10km outside the park, just off the
RN37 T 011 4765 8085, W cielospatagonicos.com. This
English-style casco viejo offers cosy, wood-floored rooms
with steppe views; dorm beds are provided in two separate
buildings. Rates for the former include full board; those
for the latter onl y cover a bed for t he night. Closed April-
mid-Oct. Dorms AR$140 , doubles AR$1700

CUEVA DE LAS MANOS PINTADAS
he CUEVA DE LAS MANOS PINTADAS
(daily 9am-7pm; AR$50) is an
astonishing cave displaying 9000-year-old
cave paintings depicting guanacos,
abstract figures and, most famously,
829 hand stencils made by ancient local
inhabitants. The cave, a UNESCO World