Colonia Suiza

Colonia Suiza was settled in the 1890s by Swiss families from Valais, and the hamlet on the Circuito Chico road still carries their names on its houses and its small chapel. Its best-known ritual is not Swiss but borrowed from Mapuche practice: the curanto, in which meat, sausages, potatoes, squash and apples are layered over stones heated in a pit, covered with nalca leaves and earth, and left to steam underground for hours before being dug out in front of whoever has gathered to watch. It is prepared on set days, usually twice a week in season, and eaten at long tables. Around it a craft and food fair sells smoked meats, jams, chocolate and beer, and trails and lakes lie a few minutes away.

What you actually see

• The curanto pit - the opening of the earth oven and serving of the meal.
• The craft and food fair - stalls of smoked meat, jam, chocolate and beer.
• The Swiss hamlet - old settler houses and the small chapel.
• The Circuito Chico - lakes and viewpoints on the surrounding loop road.

When to go

November to April, when the fair and curanto run most reliably; curanto days are typically Wednesdays and Sundays, but confirm locally as the schedule changes with the season. Arrive by late morning to see the pit opened.

Honest expectations

The curanto is a set meal served at a fixed time, not a restaurant, and portions are large and meat-heavy. In high season it is busy and touristic. Outside the fair days the hamlet is quiet with little open.

Nearby

The Circuito Chico continues past Lago Escondido; Bariloche is a short drive east.