The lakes with sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and pleasant temperatures that surprise in the Patagonian mountain range

There is a corner of Neuquén that does not leave anyone who visits it indifferent, even if it is just passing through. Its landscapes crystal clear lakes between mountains and volcanoescrowned by forests of ancient Araucaria araucanas, have no comparison with any other place in the world.

This area of ​​Neuquén, along with part of the Chilean Araucanía, on the other side of the Andes, is the only one on the planet with natural forests of this araucaria, which the Mapuche call pehuén and consider sacred.

In that unbeatable setting is Villa Pehuenia-Moquehuea municipality with two young and growing tourist towns, spread out on the shores of lakes Aluminé and Moquehue.

4×4 excursions, trekking, navigation, kayaking, mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding in winter in the Batea Mahuida snow park or rafting are some of the activities that the destination offers throughout the year. And to which in summer is added “sun and beach”.

Because the Aluminé and Moquehue lakes stand out for their crystal clear and relatively warm waters: with an average water temperature of between 18 and 20°C in summer, they are considered among the warmest in Patagonia.

And they also stand out for their Beaches, which are many – more than 50 between both lakes – and very beautiful, and for all tastes: from the hidden or small ones, protected at their ends by rocky outcroppings, to the solitary ones, the crowded ones, the nearby ones and the far ones. An invitation to discover a new beach every day, and a new perspective of the landscape.

With the addition that many of these beaches They are made of fine sand and are bathed by crystal clear waters.so they are a constant invitation to take a dip that cools off the heat of summer, when temperatures usually exceed 25 degrees, and it is not so unusual for them to even exceed 30.

Important clarification: the beaches of these lakes They do not have lifeguard service, so the refreshing dip is under the responsibility of the bathers themselves. These are some of the most recommended.

It is one of the best-known and busiest beaches on Lake Aluminé, and can be accessed by car or even on foot, because it is about two kilometers from the shopping center from Villa Pehuenia, in the narrowest part of the peninsula.

The Pehuenia Tourism Directorate highlights that an interesting feature of this beach is that, together with the nearby Mumos beach – 100 meters away – they allow access to both sides of the lake, east and west, so it is possible to choose the best place to enjoy the sand and water according to the wind and time of day. Furthermore, it allows you to enjoy both sunrise and sunset.

It is named after the neighborhood that surrounds it, and For many it is the most beautiful from Pehuenia. Very close to Route 13 entering the town, it has sandy shores ideal for walking while enjoying the landscape.

Nearby (less than 4 km), the Don Cirilo campsite has grills, tables, lighting, bathrooms and hot water. Also near the beach there are type boxes food truck where you can eat hamburgers and hot dogs or have drinks.

It is “the downtown beach”, since it is located in the center of Pehuenia, overlooking the commercial area. On one side of the coastal promenade, it has a Beach bar and, in addition to craft stalls, there are providers that offer different activities, such as boat trips or kayak and pedal boat rentals.

The boat trips navigate the waters of Lake Aluminé, allowing you to enjoy more distant landscapes between islands of nature in its purest state; They border the peninsula, covered with forests of coihues, lengas and pine forests, to reach the narrowness, a point where Lake Aluminé joins the Moquehue through the Angostura Riveralmost 500 meters long.

Right there, in the narrow area, there is another beach worth enjoying, sandy over the crystal clear waters of the river, at the foot of a picturesque bridge.

You can cross the river to find various accommodation options with views of the lakes and follow the path to access the Cinco Lagunas territory, of the Puel Mapuche community.

There you can explore beautiful water bodies, observe birds and enjoy the Andean landscape covered with araucarias, coihues, ñires and lengas.

This point, where the green stream empties into Lake Moquehue, is another enchanted corner very close to Route 11, which connects Moquehe and Pehuenia. On site there is a beach bar-parador and a campsite, as well as a wide sandy beach and super calm and transparent waters.