Villa La Angostura

Villa La Angostura takes its name from the narrow isthmus, the angostura, that links the Quetrihue peninsula to the mainland at the northern end of Lago Nahuel Huapi. The town is built of stone and timber among the trees, with a single main street of shops and restaurants and houses scattered up the slopes, and it functions as both a summer lake resort and a winter base for the Cerro Bayo ski area. Its unique attraction lies at the end of the peninsula: the Bosque de Arrayanes, a rare forest of myrtle trees with smooth cinnamon-coloured bark and no bark at ground level, reached by a twelve-kilometre walk or bike ride from town, or by boat across the lake.

What you actually see

• Bosque de Arrayanes - the myrtle forest with cinnamon-coloured trunks.
• The peninsula trail - the walk or ride along Quetrihue through the woods.
• Lago Nahuel Huapi - beaches, viewpoints and boat crossings.
• Cerro Bayo - the ski area above town, with summer lift access.

When to go

December to March for hiking, cycling and lake swimming; July to September for skiing. April and May bring autumn colour in the beech woods. High season fills the town and the peninsula trail.

Honest expectations

The peninsula walk is twenty-four kilometres return and often underestimated; many visitors take the boat one way. The town is expensive, and its restaurants busy in season. Rain is frequent even in summer.

Nearby

The Seven Lakes road runs north; Bariloche lies south around the lake.