ARGENTINA REGION BY REGION - Argentina - page 240

chacras also produce other
high-quality jams and liqueurs.
Family-run Chacra Don Neno , at
the center of town, is among
the best of these farms. The
town's other highlight is Lago
Buenos Aires, the second big-
gest freshwater lake in South
America, on the border
between Argentina and Chile.
Its pristine trout- and salmon-
rich waters attract anglers.

One of the quiet streets running through Perito Moreno

m Estancia Nibepo
Aike
Road map B6. 35 miles (56 km) S of El
Calafate. Te l [phone], (011)
5272-0341. Open Oct−mid-Apr.
∑ nibepoaike.com.ar

b Perito Moreno
Road map B5. 334 miles (538km) S of
Esquel. * 4,500. @ n Ave San
Martín & Gendarmería Nacional,
[phone]. _ Festival Cueva de
las Manos (Feb).

which is ideal for evening walks.
The avenue is given dashes of
color by the politically
motivated graffiti.

n Los Antiguos
Road map B5. 35 miles (56km) W of
Perito Moreno. * 4,000. @ n Lago
Buenos Aires 59, [phone]. _
Fiesta Nacional de la Cereza (Jan).
∑ losantiguos.tur.ar

Named for the Argentinian
naturalist and explorer,
Francisco Moreno, and not to
be confused with Glaciar Perito
Moreno (see p258) or Parque
Nacional Perito Moreno (see
p248) , this town is a popular
stopover for those traveling
along Ruta Nacional 40. The
most populous town in this
area of the Santa Cruz province,
it is an ideal base from which to
explore the World Heritage Site
of Cueva de las Manos as well
as Parque Nacional Perito
Moreno to the south. Most will
find this town a sprawling and
some what nondescript
settlement, where little goes on.
Life revolves around the main
avenue, Avenida San Martín,

Set up by Santiago Peso, a
Croatian immigrant, at the start
of the 20th century, Nibepo
Aike is a working farm, which
primarily produces beef but also
rears sheep. The farm is located
within Parque Nacional Los
Glaciares (see p254-5) , an area
of great natural beauty.
Visitors can watch several
activities - some seasonal
and others daily - such as
milking the cows, cattle
branding, breaking in horses,
sheep shearing by hand, and
rounding up cattle. The ranch
also arranges horseback rides
and hikes to various places
including the southern part
of Lago Argentino and the
Tres de Abril lake.

With its benign microclimate
and idyllic location on the shore
of Lago Buenos Aires , this little
town derives its name from the
Tehuelche I Keu Kenk , meaning
“place of my ancestors.”
Los Antiguos was built on a
site used millennia ago by the
Tehuelche as a place of retire-
ment. The archaeological rich-
ness of the area is such that
ancient burial mounds are still
being discovered. The town is
now known as Argentina's
cherry capital, although its

A view of the majestic Andes across a sparkling river and a shelter belt of poplar trees, Los Antiguos

For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99