Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mountain refuge is accessible by the 25km trail that leaves from Hostería Futalaufquen,
or by launch from Puerto Limonao (AR$220).
Information
During the high season (Christmas to Semana Santa) foreigners pay AR$75 admission.
In Villa Futalaufquen you'll find the
Intendencia
(Park Office; 471020, 471015;
8am-9pm summer, 9am-4pm rest of year)
, the park administration center where rangers have
details about hiking, camping and guided excursions. Get your fishing permits here. The
headquarters also houses the
Museo y Centro del Interpretación
, which is a
natural-history museum. The visitor center at the northern end of the park is only open
between December and February.
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Gobernador Costa
02945 / POP 2250
When you find a town where a child snaps the tourist's picture (and not the reverse), it's
something of an anomaly. This rusted little cattle town abuts the yawning stretch of
RN40 between Esquel and Río Mayo, at the intersection of RP20 for Sarmiento and Co-
modoro Rivadavia. Some 20km west of town, RP19 leads to
Lago General Vintter
and
several smaller blue-ribbon lakes near the Chilean border; camping is possible along the
shores.
Traveler services are few but reasonable.
Banco Chubut
(cnr Sarmiento & San Martín)
has an ATM. The curious
JR Departamentos
( 15-529537; d AR$220-280; )
has
small but serviceable apartments that come with a deck of cards, kitchenette and cloud
murals on a black backdrop: find Noemi at the main street pharmacy to check in. They
also take Chilean pesos. Motel-style
Hotel Roca
(
491126; Av Roca s/n; d AR$300;
)
has tidy brick rooms and a restaurant. Meals can be taken from
Kaserita
(Aguado 128;
mains AR$35-50;
10am-2pm & 6-10:30pm)
, essentially a fresh pasta kitchen with folding-
chair seating.
From the
bus terminal
(Av Roca s/n)
, buses go to Esquel and continue to Bariloche at
3:45am every day but Saturday. For Comodoro Rivadavia (AR$300, eight hours), buses
leave twice daily. Both routes are paved.
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