Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
326
Ruta 40: The Road South
The mighty and legendary
Ruta 40
is one of the world's great adventure drives.
It takes y ou along the east ern slope of the Andes fr om the t op of Ar gentina
all the wa y to the bott om of P atagonia. For travelers with a f ew ex tra days,
3-night Ruta 40 trips ar e or ganized b y
Chalten Travel
(
&
02944/456005;
www.chaltentravel.com);
Tohol Expediciones
(
&
02944/456327;
www.tohol
expediciones.com) includes st ops at traditional
estancias,
petr oglyphs, and
untouched national parks, and it c osts a budget-friendly $450 (£305) per per-
son. It starts in Bariloche and ends in El C alafate. Don't even think of mak ing
this expedition on y our own without a 4WD in ex cellent condition, stocked
with all the necessary supplies. This land is Patagonia off the beaten track.
EL BOLSON
131km (81 miles) S of Bariloche
A lovely town of 11,000 set amid a lush valley, El Bolsón is equally famous for its artisan's
fair and its microclimate, which makes it almost 7°F (4°C) warmer than in Bariloche. On
Saturdays throughout the year, and on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in summer, El
Bolsón hosts a wonder ful
Artisan and Produce Market
in its central plaza. S troll
the stands for organic fruit, wool sweaters, homemade jams, wooden cutting boards, and
microbrewed beer. There ar e also v egetarian sandwiches, sw eet waffles, and delicious
Armenian empanadas to grab as snacks. I t usually r uns from 10am to 4pm. B ecause El
Bolsón is in a basin surrounded by tall peaks, there is great hiking here. One of the most
interesting hikes takes you up to the
Bosque Tallado,
a magical forest with sculpted tree
trunks. I nquire at the Tourist I nformation Center , A venida S an M artín and R oca
(
&
02944/492604
), for trail maps and other information.
El Bolsón is also known for its production of hops, its microbreweries, and its annual
Beer Festival,
held each y ear in late February. South of El Bolsón by 15km (9
1
/
3
miles)
is
Lago Puelo National Park,
where visitors can swim, boat, hike, camp , and fish.
11
Where to Stay & Dine
The downtown core has some standard hotels, the best of which is
Hotel Cordillera,
Av.
San Martín 3220 (
&
02944/492235
). Rooms have lovely balconies. D oubles start at
$70 (£47). Outside town, you can soak up the authentic El Bolsón lifestyle at
La Casona
de Odile,
Barrio Luján, Km 6 (
&
02944/492753;
www.interpatagonia.com/odile), a
small inn and r estaurant serving French cuisine and local pr oduce. Rooms start at $45
(£30), and for $62 (£42) y ou can include thr ee fabulous meals a day.
Jauja
, Av. San
Martín 3261 (
&
02944/493505
), is home to an outstanding ice-cr eam parlor and a
good restaurant next door with delicious trout entrees. Vegetarians will love
La Calabaza,
Av. San Martín 2518 (
&
02944/492910
), which serves soups, salads, and quiches.
SOUTH OF EL BOLSON
Farther along the road is the village of
Cholila,
where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid hid out and ranched in peace from 1901 to 1906. They became cherished members
of this tiny community . You can still spot the old farmhouse the two fugitiv
es built.
