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This trip begins at Puerto Pańuelo located on the Lao llao Peninsula on lake Nahuel Huapi’s watefront. You can reach Puerto Panuelo by car, bus or tourism vans that leave the city of San Carlos de Bariloche periodically. The island is 11 kilometers away and the boat makes this distance in about 30 minutes. All the way to Puerto Anchorena you will be awed by the colour of the water, the Andean peaks and the abundant vegetation. This landscape was transformed by diverse geological phenomena along the course of millions of years. |
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Once on the island, our suggestion is to spend time trekking it. The place must have been inhabited for thousands of years. Proof of this, are the smoke stained caves and the rupestrian paintings. There is also a noticeable męlée of fauna and flora. The native species such as cypresses coihues and ńires cohabit with huge sequoias, thujas, eucalyptus, oak and pinecones. Something similar happens with the fauna. Such species as the native “pudu pudu” or dwarf deer cohabits with the wild boar or jabalí, European deer, pheasant and a variety of birds. Don’t be surprised if a vigilant imperial cormorant accompanies you. This island is 20 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide with a total surface of 3.710 hectares. It is divided into three sections, two of which have been declared intangible zones. The one that can be visited is the central one with such places as Playa del Toro, Puerto Radales, Puerto Gross and Piedras Blancas.
From Isla Victoria you can continue the trip by boat towards Puerto Quetrihue located to the south of the peninsula that bares the same name. This trip also takes 30 minutes and the most outstanding feature is that you land at a pure and dense arrayán forest. The arrayán is a tree that has a cinnamon brown bark. This bark detaches itself in strips revealing lighter layers of the same hue. |
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The arrayán tree has round small dark green leaves. Near the end of the summer the trees cover themselves with small white flowers which later turn into round black brilliant fruit. This, together with the fact that it is almost the only tree specimen in the area, gives the surroundings a strange coloring. These trees have thrived thanks to the dampness of the habitat. You can find specimens that grow up to 15 meters tall and are 650 years old. |
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