San Carlos de Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, simply called Bariloche is a city in Rio Negra province and is already part of what is called Patagonia. It isn’t a small town and up to 110 000 people are living there.
It’s used to be a village where the main business was the wood industry but later on it developed as a center for skiing, trekking and mountaineering. Now the main industry of the town is tourism.
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Apart of coming by car, there are 2 easy way to get in Bariloche: by bus or by plane.
If you are coming by bus, you will want to get a SUBE card (same public transportation card as Buenos Aires) and have topped it up as from the bus terminal you can get the bus N°20 to Villa Llao llao that goes all along the lake. Only problem is that you can’t get a SUBE card nor top it up in the bus terminal.
If you do not have one, you can still take the bus and ask someone in there to swipe his/her SUBE in exchange for cash (we did it many times and it works fine)
If you are coming from the airport there is a shuttle between the airport and the bus terminal, but you will need to verify there the schedule.
Here is out bus story from San rafael to Bariloche
Getting around
The cheapest way to get around is by bus. Depending on where you stay you will be using different bus. Only problem is that during the high season or during long weekend, the bus gets really full and if you are not in the first stations the bus may not stop. As the bus frequency is every 20 to 30min, lots of people will be waiting it.
If the bus doesn’t stop, your only solution is to wait the next one, walk to a prior station or Hitchhike.
Around San Carlos de Bariloche
- Hike the LLAO LLAO municipal park and the circuito Chico
- Bike the circuito chico
- Trek to Refugio Frey from Cerro cathedral
- Make a road trip Villa la Augustura
- Make a road trip to San martin de Los Andes
- Kayak early in the morning
- Visit Cerro Campanario
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine
Where to stay in Bariloche
- Budget: Alberto’s Airbnb (our top pick!)
- Mid-Range: Sol del Nahuel – Hotel & Spa
- Luxurious: Llao Llao Resort, Golf-Spa
- Apartment: Studio Bariloche
