Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the park are offered
by Estancia La Oriental and
Estancia Menelik (see pp310-11) .
! Hipólito Yrigoyen
Road map B5. 122 miles (197 km) S of
Perito Moreno. * 250. @
Off Patagonia's more beaten
track but beautifully situated,
Hipólito Yrigoyen is a small
settlement on the shore of
Lago Posadas , at the foot of
the southern Andes. It is still
usually known by its old name,
Posadas, taken from the lake.
People who visit the town do
so for three main reasons −
fishing, hiking, and mountain
climbing. The lake is a popular
spot among anglers and the
catch includes smelt, perch,
and salmon.
The only hotel in the village, Hotel Bajo Caracoles
. Bajo Caracoles
Road map B5. 80 miles (130 km) S of
Perito Moreno. * 100. @
For motorists driving south
on Ruta Nacional 40 from Perito
Moreno, Bajo Caracoles is the
first stopover point. Surrounded
by the vast Patagonian steppe,
it is a remote settlement of
about 15 families. The town
has the only gas station on the
national highway between
Perito Moreno and Tres Lagos,
a stretch of over 310 miles (500
km). The village is home to a
small hotel that contains its sole
restaurant and phone booth.
and have as their backdrop the
snowy peaks of the beautiful
Andean cordillera. Opportunities
for nature-spotting are varied
and many. Well-marked trails
cross breathtaking scenery that
features eight beautiful lakes.
Elegant fine-boned guanaco
abound along their shores, and
some 160 bird species are found
in the park.
Visitors should expect
extreme weather conditions.
In winter temperatures drop to
a chilling -25° C (-13° F), and it
can snow even in summer.
The best times to visit are in
the southern hemisphere's
late spring and early fall. Luxury
accommodations in and around
Environs
Around 2 miles (3 km) south
of Hipólito Yrigoyen is the
Cerro de Los Indios archaeo-
logical site with 3,000-year-old
rock paintings. The area's star
attraction is Cerro San Lorenzo .
At 12,155 ft (3,702 m), it is
one of the highest peaks in
southern Patagonia.
/ Parque Nacional
Perito Moreno
Road map B5. 102 miles (165 km) SW
of Bajo Caracoles. n Ave San Martín
882, Gobernador Gregores, (02962)
491-477.  parquesnacionales.
gob.ar
Due to its remote location
and extreme climatic condi-
tions, Parque Nacional Perito
Moreno remains Patagonia's
wildest and best-preserved
national park. Visitors able to
traverse its borders will find
landscapes of pristine beauty
abundant in wildlife.
Covering 490 sq miles (1,268
sq km), the park encompasses
two separate ecological regions.
The Patagonian steppe covers
its eastern section, forming an
elevated plain of scrub and
grassland at 2,950 ft (900 m)
above sea level. In the park's
western section this scrub is
replaced by thick swathes of
lenga forest, which rise to an
altitude of 3,936 ft (1,200 m),
Breathtaking view of Lago Posadas with the Andes in the distance
For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99
 
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