Bariloche - the Lakes District of Patagonia

I had heard great things from other travelers about Bariloche, and given how difficult it was to get there, I figured it must be good. It is situated on the foothills of the Andes and sits on Lake Nahuel Huapi. It is also famous for it's chocolate, and that fact alone was enough to convince me that it was a city worth visiting. Not that I needed any chocolate after over-indulging on ice cream in Mendoza - I don't think I have ever seen so many heladerias.

Bariloche is definitely a beautiful city with an alpine village feel, but I was a little disappointed by how touristy it was. And the fact that it's also a hot spot for Argentine high school graduates on summer vacation. Despite all the tourists, the areas surrounding the city are stupendous and there is loads of hiking, biking, kayaking, and rafting. I went kayaking one of the days, and the lake was one of the cleanest I've ever seen. Unlike the part of the Amazon River that I visited, Patagonia seems to be much more environmentally protected. And there were fewer tourists outside of the city. I stayed a few days in Bariloche and then took the "Ruta 40" trip down to Southern Patagonia.