Seniors Choose Bariloche

San Carlos de Bariloche (commonly called Bariloche), in Argentina’s Inner Patagonia, is a town bordering Lago Nahuel Huapi, a large glacial lake surrounded by the snow-crowned Andes. Senior visitors will enjoy it for its Swiss alpine architecture and its chocolate, sold in shops lining Calle Mitre, its main street.

 Bariloche  is a popular base for hiking and skiing the nearby mountains and exploring the surrounding Lakes District. The “American Switzerland,” as it is called, is famous for skiing and also for sightseeing, water sports, hiking and climbing. Senior visitors enjoy its Swiss-like atmosphere and its breweries.

The truly brave at heart can take a plunge into icy Lake Nahuel Huapi, which, even in summer, never rises above a chilling average temperature of 57°F. Could you do that? Great souvenir memory with lots of goosebumps.

Beaches like Playa Bonita and Villa Tacul are attractive, but a word of caution…try to avoid Bariloche  in July, when the town is inundated with high-school students celebrating graduation. They like to call the town simply “Bariló.”

Seniors Enjoy Nahuel National Park

Senior travelers will find plenty to see and do starting off with the Nahuel National Park. This massive national park is the largest in Argentina, nearly 2 million acres. Established in 1934 with mountains, lakes and forests and many outdoors activities.

Tronador is an extinct stratovolcano in the southern Andes, located along the border between Argentina and Chile.  The mountain was named Tronador by locals in reference to the sound of falling seracs ( a block or column of glacial ice, often formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier). Add that term to your geological terminology knowledge as I did.

Seniors Take in the Beauty

So what is there for seniors? Plenty. Lonely Planet notes that being strung out along the shoreline of Lago Nahuel Huapi, in the middle of the national park, Bariloche has one of the most gorgeous settings imaginable.

Combined with a wealth of summer and winter activities in the surrounding countryside, Bariloche has become the Lake District’s principal destination. And chocolate. There are a host of chocolate shops lining main street. Makes for a great edible souvenir, that is, if you can make it home with them as gifts.

 So travel south, seniors, and enjoy the healthy air of the Andes, the variety of water activities, the fine array of local dishes (Bariloche is famous for its smoked foods, particularly deer and trout,) and the beauty of the area. -jeb