Los Alerces National Park – Full Day
Los Alerces National Park – Full Day
Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017, is an area of immense beauty. This excursion is the perfect starting point for exploring it.
Time of year | All year |
Maximum Pax | 23 |
Duration | Full day |
Transfer | Includes transfer from your accommodation in Esquel If you are staying in Trevelin, we can coordinate a meeting point in Esquel or, for an additional cost, we can pick you up in Trevelin, or wherever you are staying. |
Includes | Guide, insurance |
Recommendations
In all seasons of the year it is suggested to wear comfortable shoes (sneakers), comfortable clothing, and layered coats.
In summer/spring bring sunscreen, repellent, cap, preferably light clothing, personal bottle of water,
In autumn/winter, wear a hat, a neck warmer, gloves, warm shoes and extra socks.
Clarifications
The tour is done by vehicle and at each attraction visited there are low difficulty trails with a guide.
Description of the excursion
The tour begins at 9:30 a.m. in Esquel and first visits Villa Futalaufquen, the headquarters of the government and the park's interpretation center. From there, we depart for Puerto Limonao, 4 km away, and take a short 500-meter hike where we will appreciate the beauty of La Hostería Futalaufquen, an emblematic Bustillo building from the 1950s. Here, the vehicle will await us to take us to the Cave Paintings Viewpoint. We then take a short hike to observe the paintings and ascend to a viewpoint of Lake Futalaufquen. We then head to Irigoyen Waterfall, 4 kilometers away, where we make a short ascent to the waterfall. From there, we enter the heart of the National Park, the Arrayanes River Footbridge area. After crossing the watercourse, you walk along a low-difficulty trail that takes 30 minutes (1.5 km) and allows you to see a young 500-year-old larch tree, glimpse the Menéndez River and finally reach Puerto Chucao, on Lake Menéndez, where from the shore you can see the Torrecillas Glacier from high above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Differences between the excursions:
1) PN. LOS ALERCES DE MEDIO:
We only tour the downtown area, entering through the gate of the same name. We make stops to visit the cave painting trail, the Irigoyen waterfall, the Futalaufquen village, the town hall, the visitor center, the Limonao port, and the Futalaufquen Inn.
2) PN. LOS ALERCES FULLDAY:
The first part is the same as option number 1, then a stop is added on the shores of Lake Futalaufquen in Punta Mattos, and we continue along Route 71 towards the northern area visiting the Rio Arrayanes walkway, a trail is taken along the Menendez River, visiting the Lahuan Soledad, the Isla Alerce viewpoint and the source of the Menendez River, we reach the shores of Lake Menendez where we will see the Torrecillas hill and glacier.
3) PN. LOS ALERCES CENTER DOORWAY AND SOUTH DOORWAY:
The first part is the same as option 1. We then leave the park and head toward Trevelin to enter the national park through the south gate. We will take a tour visiting Los Tambores waterfall, the Pozones viewpoint, the old Futaleufú River bed, the Amutui Quimey dam and lake, the Balancing Chimney, the machine room, and the Virgen de las Nieves Chapel. This tour takes place within the area concessioned to the Futaleufú hydroelectric plant, where we will follow a circular route, making various stops.
Return to Esquel via Trevelin and RN 259.
Can the Los Alerces National Park Full-Day Tour and Lake Safari to explore the Ancient Larch be taken on the same day?
Unfortunately, these tours cannot be combined on the same day; both are full-day tours. To experience the Millenary Alerce, you must take a lake excursion on Lake Menéndez (northern part of the PNLA). This requires a land transfer to the Arrayanes River Footbridge (90 km from Esquel/Trevelin). Since the arrival time at the pier is at 10:30 a.m., you must depart from Esquel around 8:00 a.m. Once you reach the Arrayanes River Footbridge, the only way to reach the Puerto Chucao pier on Lake Menéndez is by walking along a 1,500-meter-long, easy-to-difficulty trail. At this point, you board the boat and return at approximately 4:00 p.m., where you walk the trail again to the Arrayanes River Footbridge.
