Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ESSENTIALS
Getting There
BY PLANE
See “Getting There” under “San Martín de los Andes,” earlier in this chap-
ter. It is also common for driv ers to arrive in Junín from Pucón, Chile, coming over the
gorgeous Paso Tromen.
BY BUS
Ko-Ko Chevalier
(
&
02972/427422
) has ser vice from San Martín de los
Andes and Buenos Aires. Ko-Ko also has ser vice to Lago H uechulafquén. The
bus ter-
minal
(
&
02972/492038
) is at Olarama and Felix San Martín.
Getting Around
Most visitors find that the only real way to get around is to rent a car, although if they've
come to fly-fish transpor tation is generally pr ovided by their guide. Car-r ental agencies
can be found at the airport and in San Martín (see “Getting Around,” under “San Martín
de los Andes,” earlier in this chapter).
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Visitor Information
The
Secretaría Municipal de Turismo
is located at P adre Milanesio 596 (
&
02972/
491160
); it's open daily from 8am to 9pm, from 8am to 11pm during the summer.
WHAT TO SEE & DO
Puerto Canoa is the central entrance to the splendid
Parque Nacional Lanín,
30km (19
miles) from Junín. Here, you'll find a 30-minute interpretive trail and the departure spot
for catamaran ex cursions across Lago H uechulafquén, which looks out onto the sno w-
capped, conical Volcán Lanín. See earlier in this chapter, Lahuen Co, for an excellent day
trip into the par k's interior. Río Chimehuín begins at the lake 's outlet and offers out-
standing fishing oppor tunities. Several excellent hiking and backpacking trails trav erse
the area, with a few rustic backcountry huts; you can pick up information at the ranger
station at Puerto Canoa. Towering behind Junín is the par k's namesake volcano. Volcán
Lanín is 3,776m (12,400 ft.) tall. Experienced mountaineers can mount the summit with
a licensed guide (see “Mountaineering,” under “San Martín de los Andes,” earlier in this
chapter). If you're in San Martín de los Andes, stop by the park's headquarters, the
Inten-
dencia Parque Nacional Lanín,
Emilio Frey 749 (
&
02972/427233
).
Founded in 1883, but populated by native Mapuches for centuries, Junín is one of the
older towns in the area. The
Mapuche Museum,
Ginés Ponte 550 (
&
02972/492322),
is worth a stop. Nearby, the
Museo Don Mosés,
C. Juarez and San Marín (no phone),
is a turn-of-the-20th-century general store that has been totally preserved. Outside town
on the road to Volcán Lanín, you can visit the wool and woodwor king workshop of the
local nativ e M apuche people at
Reserva I ndígena Chiuquilihuin,
open daily fr om
9:30am to 7:30pm. Take RP 60 to ward Tromen, turning right at Km 13. Local guides
also run short hikes in the area. Ask at the workshop for more information or book a tour
of the Mapuche villages with
Alquimia Viajes
in San Martín (
&
02972/491355;
www.
alquimiaturismo.com.ar).
FISHING INFORMATION & LICENSES
Visitors can obtain licenses at the
Tourism
Office,
the office of the Guardafauna (
&
02972/491277
), open Monday to Friday 8am
to 3pm; the
Fly Shop,
Pedro Illera 378 (
&
02972/491548
);
Bambi's Fly Shop,
Juan
Manuel de Rosas 320 (
&
02972/491167
); or
Patagonia Fly Fishing,
Laura Vicuña 135
(
&
/fax
02972/491538
).
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