Discovering Neuquén, Among Millenary Pehuenes, Lakes And Mapuche Communities

Itinerary

Day 1: Day 1: Arrival to Patagonia - Villa Pehuenia (-/-/D)

Stop At: Villa Pehuenia, Villa Pehuenia, Province of Neuquen, Patagonia
Arrival at Neuquén Airport, where you will meet your guide. You will be transferred to your hotel in Villa Pehuenia, located approximately 5 hours away from Neuquen city.

Upon arrival, you will have time to settle down and begin to discover the town.

At night, you will enjoy a gourmet dinner with a local chef, in Borravino Restaurant. This small restaurant is located in front of Lake Aluminé, and its chef is Matias Tesoriero, the most famous of Villa Pehuenia, considered one of Neuquen Capitals of Gastronomy.

You will be able to choose between typical Patagonian menus: trout, lamb, goat, pasta accompanied with a glass of wine each. Dessert included.


Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation: Standard Category Hotel


Day 2: Day 2: Batea Mahuida Volcano (B/L/D)

Stop At: Villa Pehuenia, Villa Pehuenia, Province of Neuquen, Patagonia
In the early morning, you will choose an activity such as Mountain Bike or Trekking (level of difficulty low) to explore the Coihues Peninsula and viewpoints of Villa Pehuenia.

Afterward, you will enjoy a picnic (included).

Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Volcan Batea Mahuida, Centro de ski Batea Mahuida. Villa Pehuenia, Villa Pehuenia Argentina
In the afternoon, you will begin your adventure to Batea Mahuida Volcano. This volcano belongs to the Mapuche community's territory. You will taste typical alfajores and pine nut liqueur (traditional products with Mapuche food base). You will arrive at the summit and from the top you will have a wonderful panoramic view of the surroundings and the crater of the volcano.
Return to Villa Pehuenia.

Private tour with English / Spanish speaking guide
Diner included in the hotel

Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation: Standard Category Hotel


Day 3: Day 3: Horseback ride in Moquehue - Aluminé (B/L/D)

Stop At: Moquehue, Moquehue, Province of Neuquen, Patagonia
In the morning, departure to Moquehue for a 2-hour horseback ride. Later on, you will enjoy lunch in a wonderful setting.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Alumine, Alumine, Province of Neuquen, Patagonia
In the afternoon, as you approach Aluminé, your next destination, you will discover 5 beautiful lakes: Aluminé, Moquehue, Nompehuén, Ñorquinco and Pulmarí. Along 130 km and 5 hours, you will admire these water mirrors before arriving at Aluminé.

Private tour with English / Spanish speaking guide
Diner included.
Villa Pehuenia - Aluminé: 62 km - approx 1 hour.

Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation: Standard Category Hotel


Day 4: Day 4: Rafting and Quilque Lil Reserve (B/L/D)

Stop At: Alumine River, From Lake Alumine to Rio Catan Lil, Alumine Argentina
You will begin your day with a full adventure experience. You will do rafting in the Aluminé River. It is famous because the World Championship had place there in 2018. It is one of the most famous rivers to do this activity. You can do the high intensity part (World Championship circuit) or the most calm one (Abra Ancha).

The navigation has a 2,5 h duration, 6-8 km. Total duration: 4 hours.

Tour with English / Spanish speaking guide

Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Alumine, Alumine, Province of Neuquen, Patagonia
After lunch (included) you will depart to Quilque Lil, a 250 hás reserve, just 1,5 km from Aluminé city center. There you can choose between several activities to explore the reserve. You can do an 8 km trek, self-guided. During this 4-hour hike of medium difficulty, you will be able to admire 3 panoramic points: Mirador de los Rodales, Mirador de los Chinchillones and Mirador de los Cipreses. You will also discover archaeological remains of 900 years.

The reserve also offers bird watching, running and cultural encounters with the Mapuche communities that inhabit it.
Finally, you will visit the Charrua Museum, an old ranch transformed into a museum. It is dedicated to conserving, investigating objects that are part of the cultural legacy of the Aluminé River basin. You will be able to learn about the past of this region, the old life in the Estancia and take a botanical walk.

Tour with English / Spanish speaking guide

Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation: Standard Category Hotel


Day 5: Day 5: Traditions of a local community, Ruca Choroy (B/L/D)

Stop At: Lago Ruca Choroi, Alumine Argentina
Just 50 km away from Aluminé, you will meet a local community named Ruca Choroy. One of the Mapuche families will receive you in their home, in the middle of the Andes mountain range. Surrounded by an ancient araucaria forest, you will learn about their way of life, their daily activities and their history.

You can take a walk to a nearby waterfall, and observe birds at Laguna Lopez. They will tell you about their language recovery work, their ancestral medicine hospital, their work in crafts while sharing a mate and typical gastronomy.

You will have lunch in one of the houses of the Ruca Choroy community.

In the afternoon, you can take a 4 hour walk with a member of the community to Laguna Verde.

Private tour with English / Spanish speaking guide
Diner included

Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Accommodation: Standard Category Hotel


Day 6: Day 6: On the road to San Martín de los Andes (B/L/D)

Stop At: San Martin de los Andes, San Martin de los Andes, Province of Neuquen, Patagonia
You will leave Aluminé to the South in the direction of San Martín de los Andes.

Private transfer with English / Spanish speaking guide

Aluminé - San Martín de los Andes: 150 km - approx 3 hours.

Lunch and dinner included

Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation: Standard Category Hotel


Day 7: Day 7: Lanin National Park and Lake Huechulafquen (B/L/D)

Stop At: Lanin National Park, Lanin National Park, Province of Neuquen, Patagonia
On this day you will discover the excellence of the Lanín National Park, lakes Huechulafquen, Paimún and Epulafquen. You will admire the grandeur of the volcano, you will learn about the traditions and history of Mapuche communities, and you will explore this site through interpretation trails.
The first stop is the city of Junín de los Andes passing by the Mapuche handicraft area.
Later you will arrive at the Chimehuín River, a very famous place among fishermen.
Continuing with the route and bordering the Lake, you will leave the Patagonian Steppe area to enter deep in the Andean-Patagonian forest. You will then stop for lunch in a typical countryside restaurant served by members of the Mapuche community.
Afterwards, you will continue to Puerto Canoa until you reach the Lake Paimún next to the María Auxiliadora Chapel, in a pure forest of ancient araucarias, at the foot of the Lanín Volcano.

You will return to the city at 6.30 pm.
Private tour with English / Spanish speaking guide
Duration: 9 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation: Standard Category Hotel


Day 8: Day 8: Villa Meliquina (B/L/D)

Stop At: Villa Meliquina, Villa Meliquina, Province of Neuquen, Patagonia
Today, you will discover Villa Meliquina and lake Filo Hua Hum.
You start this half-day tour traveling along the emblematic Route 40, passing through the Pil Pil valley viewpoint, with a spectacular view of the Mapuche communities, and Lake Lacar in the background.

A few kilometers later you will take the detour that will take you to the beautiful Villa del Lago Meliquina, bordering the lake with beautiful views of it in all its extension.

The activity continues passing through large pine plantations in the estancias in the area and arriving at Lake Filo Hua Hum, a fishing paradise, where you will take time to enjoy the beaches.
Finally you will return to San Martin.

Private tour with English / Spanish speaking guide

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation: Standard Category Hotel


Day 9: Day 9: End of the trip (B/-/-)

Stop At: San Martin de los Andes, San Martin de los Andes, Province of Neuquen, Patagonia
According to your flight schedule, you will be transferred to the airport.

End of our services
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.