Parque Nacional de Arrayanes

Location:
San Martín 24 - Casilla de Correo 380
Villa La Angostura, Argentina

City Park Types:
National park, Hiking

By Shanie Matthews

The cinnamon-colored Arrayán trees (or Myrceugenella) only grow southern Argentina, and they flourish in the Seven Lakes area, home to the largest known specimens of Arrayanes on the planet. The trees grow slowly and the trunk of the tree has a unique way of staying cool in any temperature. It’s rumored that thee trees were Walt Disney’s inspiration for the forest in Bambi.

In 1971, the Arrayanes National Park became its own division of the larger Nahuel Huapi National Park. The new park’s area encompasses 20 hectares (50 acres) of virgin forest. The trailhead begins in Puerto Mansa, a half a block to the left of the Futaleufu ferry dock. It wanders through pristine, dense Lenga and bamboo forest, two hours on foot, before reaching the oldest grouping of Arrayanes trees in the world.

It is also possible to reach the dense Arrayanes forest via boats from Bariloche and Puerto Mansa. There is a wooden boardwalk that encircles the thickest portion of the forest. A log cabin gift shop and café greet you at the end of the easy stroll.

Travel Tips: Intermediate hiking trail. It starts out with a medium size hill, but then it is rolling and flat to the Arrayanes forest.

Relative price: Free

Travel Skills: intermediate/somewhat difficult.

You Need to Bring: hiking shoes, comfortable clothing, water

Puerto Mansa

Contact Information:
Zip: 8400
Phone: 54 29 44 4231 / 42 2734
E-mail: nahuelhuapi(at)remove-this.apn.gov.ar