PEHUENIA BIKE TOUR

Patagonia Norte - Argentina

A tour in a world of Araucarias.
This adventure begins with a day of mountain biking to Lake Escondido, near San Martín de Los Andes, and then continues to the north.
We will cycle the paths between Aluminé and Villa Pehuenia and we will enjoy a special day in the mountains cycling through the Arco Pass and the Batea Mahuida Volcano.

Highlights
- Ride your bike through abandoned timber roads to reach a lake of restricted access.
- Cycle through forests of Araucarias.
- Discover the shores of 6 lakes during the tour.
- Visit the lake inside the Bate Mahuida Volcano crater.
- Spend two nights on the shores of Lake Aluminé.

Day before
We will meet in San Martín de Los Andes.
Briefing with the guide to discuss the tour itinerary and safety measures, and check the bikes.

Day 1 | San Martín de Los Andes - Lake Escondido - San Martín de Los Andes
As a warm-up, before heading to the north to start our adventure, we suggest visiting one of the most beautiful spots near San Martín de los Andes, Lake Escondido.
To get there we cycle through an old and abandoned timber road, perfect for a bike tour. Despite riding through the valley, we will face some ascents to try the bikes.
At the lake, we will enjoy the surroundings and take a swim. We will then begin an incredible descent through the woods.
We will end this tour in Quila Quina, where we will take a boat ride back to San Martín de Los Andes.

Day 2 | San Martín de Los Andes - Aluminé
Today we will take a 50-min transfer to the outskirts of a town called Junín de Los Andes.
Today’s is a picturesque ride, skirting the Aluminé riverbed, with its rapids and incredible blue waters, running inside a mountain gorge. This road has a good amount of kilometers of asphalted road, perfect to ride with the bicycles, and a long first descent that connects with the river. Our destination, a beautiful guest house located only a few meters away from the river, is the perfect stop to relax after this first day of adventure.

Day 3 | Aluminé - Villa Pehuenia
We will start the day with a 35-km transfer to Lake Pulmarí. Here we will jump on the bikes and we will begin our journey through a wood of Araucarias, odd rock formations, cliffs, and 5 lakes. Today’s views are just breathtaking.
For tonight’s accommodation, we have selected a guest house with great views of Lake Aluminé.

Day 4 | Villa Pehuenia - Del Arco Pass - Batea Mahuida - Villa Pehuenia
Today awaits a day of adventure, completely different from the previous ones.
Today we will ride to the Chilean border through the Del Arco Pass. This pass is closed to traffic, but once we reach the border we will walk around without crossing it, till we reach Lake Corazón. From that lake begins a system of wild paths where, in some areas, we will have to walk carrying the bicycles.
The last stretch of this area of wild paths is the upper section of Lake Batea Mahuida, from where we will have to descend more than 25 km to our lodging for the night.

Day 5 | Villa Pehuenia - Aluminé - San Martín de Los Andes
On this last day we will head south to Aluminé, but this time we will do so skirting the eastern shore of the lake. We will cycle parallel to the upper section of the Aluminé River, from its source to the town.
A gravel path with a very low gradient will be the end of this adventure and of an excellent last day. In Aluminé, a transfer will be waiting to drive us back to San Martín de Los Andes.

Summary