There are islands, beaches, cascades, rock formations, and under the water lies the submerged city which is referred in the Mapuche legend.
Duration: One day
Distance: 30 kms
Enabled: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring
Description tour: Navigation on Lakes Lácar and Nonthué
The guided tours depart daily from the pier located in the coast. Price and timetable www.lagolacarynonthue.com
The tour goes along Lácar and Nonthué Lakes until the beginning of Hua Hum River, near the boundary line with Chile.
Starting from the pier you will border the peninsula located on the right, where you will be able to see some homes that belong to the Mapuche community, which are part of the "Paraje Trompul".
Afterwards you will go past Yuco's peninsula, where you will see the Park Ranger's House, and then you will have the chance to visit Los Patos and Santa Teresita islands.
While you enjoy the trip, you will be able to understand better the geological formation of the surrounding landscape, the glaciers that gave origin to the lakes, and the slow process of millions of years that turned the huge rocks into forests.
The Lácar Lake is the only basin that drains into the Pacific Ocean. After approximately three hours of trip, the lake narrows displaying wonderful geen colours that can be seen from the deck. This lake is connected to the small lake Nonthué, where you will see Chachín Port which used to be a log settlement during the last century, and where visitors will descend.
Chachín Cascade
From there on, after crossing a bridge, you will take a path that goes through the Valdivian rainforest, called like this thanks to the presence of vegetation such as Lianas, Epiphytes and Canelo, Taique, Topa topa and Maniú, all helped by the huge amount of rainfall.
A slow ascent of half an hour long, leads to the impressive Chachín Cascade, with almost 30 metres high sorrounded by the vegetation.
The whole trail has been rebuilt and turned into an interpretative one, where you will see information boards made by artisans from around the country, that help visitors to understand better the importance of the forest and its natural processes.
Hua Hum
Going back to the ship, the journey continues until Hua Hum pier, where you will find a restaurant, a beach and daily camping area.
Although this place is located in the shores of Nonthué Lake, it is called Hua Huam because of the river, which drains from the lake into the Pacific Ocean.
This river is a major attraction to take into account, and it is well known because visitors practise rafting there. The excursion starts from the bridge, near the restaurant (on the Argentine side) and finishes in the Chilean Republic. In summer canoes and pedal boats can be rented.
When the ship returns, in the afternoon, you can see Pucará and Ruca Ñire ports, which worked as old log settlements. Almost a century ago the region had developed thanks to this activity.
Then the ship will stop in the small and mysterious Santa Teresita island, where you will find trails that lead to the chapel called "Santa Teresita del Niño Jesús y de la Santa Faz", a wooden building where pioneers used to go by boat to celebrate their marriage, a magical moment that seemed endless among the Arrayán trees called "Arrayanes Enamorados".
Navigating the Southern edge of Lácar Lake, you will see the mysterious caves of the Vizcacha hill. Inside them there are paintings which cannot be seen from the boat. Finally the tour finishes in the pier of San Martin de los Andes.
Office: Secretaría de Turismo - Av. San Martín y Juan Manuel de Rosas
Opening hours: 7:00hs a 14:00hs
Phone: 02972-425500
Back to: Outdoors
Visit also:
Thermal Springs,
Seven Lakes Area,
Paso Córdoba Area,
Lanín - Tromen Area,
Lolog Area,
Central and Vegas Areas