The best beaches in Bariloche for summer vacations

Although its name often evokes ski slopes, hot chocolate and snowy landscapes, Bariloche is also – in its own way – a beach destination.

When the summer months dawn and the sun raises the temperatures of the great city of Río Negro, the extensive coasts of Nahuel Huapi and nearby lakes They become privileged spaces to enjoy days of swimming in crystal-clear waters in the middle of magnificent natural environments.

In a circuit that has its starting point in the urban center and is mostly deployed towards the “kilometers”he Small Circuit and the mythical Route 40, the beaches of Bariloche and its surroundings They share many common denominators, but they also offer a great diversity of characteristics and “waves”: familiar, youthful, solitary, popular, colder or warmer, among other categories.

Many of the most classic and popular are located, for obvious reasons of convenience, near the city, on the axis of Bustillo Avenue.

• The Center beachlocated a few meters from the Civic Center, on Costanera Avenue, is an ideal place for those who prefer not to get in the car: it is usually very busy, allowing you to take a photo with the Bariloche sign and the town center behind you – ideal for Instagram- and it is steps away from the enormous gastronomic and commercial offer of the Patagonian city.

• Leaving through Bustillo, at kilometer 4 is the Playa Melipalwhich is not only spacious and beautiful but also has the advantage of being practically next to Manush and Blest, two classics of Bariloche gastronomy, where you can end the day at the beach enjoying artisanal beers and smoked dishes. (Be careful, there is happy hour almost every afternoon).

• A little further on, at kilometer 8, you will find beautiful beachprobably the most relevant public spa on the coast of Lake Nahuel Huapi, which is usually the most chosen by families and teenagers. This year it has been the subject of a weeding and beautification process by the municipality, so it will have more space than ever to accommodate visitors. At the same height in Bustillo is the Kunstmann brewery and restaurant, another excellent option for happy hour.

• Serene Bayat kilometer 12, is a beach full of charm, located in a wide cove and with several bars and shops in the surrounding area. As in almost all the beaches of Bariloche, the largest concentration of people is in the access area, so it is advisable to move away to the sides along the coast to find more tranquility.

A tip that works for everyone: always wear plastic sandals, flip flops or Crocs, since both in and out of the water the terrain is covered in stones.

Already in the Small Circuit, a great recommendation is the Villa Tacul beachwhich has a wonderful natural environment, marked by the view of the mountain range and forests of myrtles, lengas and coihues. There the water temperature is usually a little lower than in other places, but it is far compensated by the landscape and the breadth of the coasts.

It is not far away Lake Moreno, with its Windy and Windless Beachesseparated by the strait that divides the lake. The first, as its name indicates, is usually windy and that is why it is chosen by lovers of sports such as kitesurfing and windsurfing, while the other is ideal for kayaking (they are rented there) and diving taking advantage of the fact that the Water temperature is usually higher than in Nahuel Huapi.

Among the beaches that have gained the most followers in recent years are, without a doubt, those of Gutierrez Lakea beautiful reflecting pool located a little beyond the access route to Cerro Catedral, just 20-25 minutes by car from the center of Bariloche.

The one of Villa Los Coihues It is the busiest: it can be reached from the city by public transport (bus 50) and it is the natural spa of one of the neighborhoods that has grown the most.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Los Coihues was just a mountain hamlet, whose neighbors could be counted on the fingers of the hands, and today it is one of the most powerful suburbs of Greater Bariloche, with a lot of neo-hippie and alternative imprint.

From Villa Los Coihues a two and a half hour trekking trail that goes through the Duendes waterfall and ends at Muñoz beacha dream place that is also worth the walk that leads there and is usually very frequented by young people in summer.

Taking the Route 40 to El Bolsónthe beaches chosen by Bariloche residents who escape the summer crowds begin to appear, less crowded spas in general because they are only accessible by car.

Bordering Lake Gutiérrez on Highway 40 you reach the beaches of its southern coastwhich are accessed by a short path (path).

They are the largest and most open of all, they are surrounded by coihue forests that provide shelter in the hours of the strongest sun and have spectacular views of the valley sandwiched between the Catedral, Otto and Ventana hills.

Barely separated from the Gutiérrez by a brief spit of land, the Lake Mascardi It competes with its neighbor for being the one with the warmest waters in the entire area (there is no debate, Huapi is the coldest).

has some beautiful beaches on its west sidewhich are reached by the road that goes to Cerro Tronador, but the most popular are those on camping Relmu Lakfenmanaged by the Wiritray Mapuche community.

25 kilometers south of the center of Bariloche on Highway 40, this campsite not only has wonderful coasts, but is also the starting point for several of the best trekking circuits in Mascardi.

Increasingly further along the 40, but not so far that you cannot visit them on a day trip, are the beaches of Lake Guillelmo35 kilometers from Bariloche towards El Bolsón.

They are very close to Villa Mascardi and lately they have become the refuge of many locals who look for places not yet colonized by tourism.