Llao Llao

Llao Llao is a Mapuche word meaning "sweet sweet" (after the edible Cyttaria darwinii fungi, locally called llao-llao or "indian bread") and it names the most photographed spot inside Nahuel Huapi National Park: a small peninsula that separates Lake Nahuel Huapi from Lake Moreno, 25 kilometers west of San Carlos de Bariloche at the end of Avenida Bustillo. The centerpiece is the Llao Llao Hotel Resort Golf Spa, opened on January 9, 1940, by President Roberto M. Ortiz to position Bariloche as an international destination. Designed by architect Alejandro Bustillo (1889-1982 — also responsible for the Banco Nación headquarters and the Mar del Plata Cathedral) in an "alpine mountaineering" style with cordillera cypress wood, local granite and larch shingles, the hotel was largely consumed by fire in October 1939 before opening, rebuilt in nine months and reinaugurated. Since then it has hosted heads of state (Argentine presidents, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton), monarchs and global celebrities, becoming one of South America's most iconic hotels. Today it is a 5-star resort with 154 rooms, an 18-hole golf course designed by Pierre Dyé, the Llao Llao Wellness spa (heated outdoor pools with lake views), two signature restaurants (Los Cesares, Bib Gourmand Michelin 2023; and Pierre) and a helipad. 2026 rates run from USD 290 (low) to USD 950 (high season) per night. Beyond the hotel, the area includes the Llao Llao Municipal Park (1,240 hectares, free entry) with three trekking trails of varying difficulty; the San Eduardo Chapel (1938, also Bustillo, alpine style, 200 meters from the hotel, open to public); Puerto Pañuelo (the historic pier for Nahuel Huapi cruises, active since the 1930s, with daily departures to Victoria Island, Arrayanes Forest and Puerto Blest); and the public beaches of Lake Moreno with fine volcanic sand. The area is a mandatory stop on the Circuito Chico, the most classic scenic drive in Argentine Patagonia. Visitors can freely enter the hotel lobby, grab coffee at the Winter Garden bar with panoramic lake views, walk the noble-wood corridors lined with 1940s hunting trophies and the central stone fireplace. Access from Bariloche center is 35 minutes by car, 55 minutes on bus line 20 (every 30 min, USD 0.80), or by bicycle along the Avenida Bustillo bike lane. In winter, the combination of the hotel with glacial lakes and snowcapped peaks makes Llao Llao one of the most dramatically beautiful settings in the southern hemisphere.

The Llao Llao Hotel — What to See Without Staying

The hotel is open heritage. Anyone can enter freely between 9:00 and 22:00 through the main door (no strict dress code). Highlights:

• Historic lobby: cypress wood, original Mapuche pieces, 1940s hunting trophies (deer, pumas, boar — relics of another era, controversial today), giant stone fireplace.
• Winter Garden bar: panoramic lake views. Coffee, craft beer, Patagonian tea.
• Historic photo gallery: in the main hallway. Visits by Clinton, Ford, European royals.
• Golf course perimeter: walkable for free (no playing). Stunning Lake Moreno views from greens 13 and 14.
• Lakefront gardens: Adirondack chairs for summer sunbathing. Free access.
• Mozart pastry terrace: sweets with lake views, relatively affordable.

Llao Llao Municipal Park Trails

Arrayanes Trail + West Lake Moreno

Distance: 2.8 km one way (5.6 km total). Time: 1h30-2h round trip. Difficulty: easy. Elevation: 100m. The trail leaves the Municipal Park parking lot (km 28 of Avenida Bustillo) and crosses coihue and arrayan forest down to a sandy beach on West Lake Moreno. Arrayanes are cinnamon-bark trees endemic to Patagonia; a similar concentration grows in Los Arrayanes National Park (Quetrihué Peninsula, Villa La Angostura). The beach allows a quick swim (water 8-12°C). Ideal for families with kids.

Cerro Llao Llao Trail

Distance: 3 km one way (6 km total). Time: 3-4h round trip. Difficulty: medium-high. Elevation: 450m. Climbs through dense forest to Cerro Llao Llao (1,055m). The final stretch has fixed chains on exposed sections. The summit is a rocky outcrop with 360-degree panorama. You see the entire Nahuel Huapi, Lake Moreno, the peninsula, the Llao Llao Hotel below, the Tronador and Capilla volcanoes, and on clear days the Chilean Osorno and Puntiagudo. Bring water, layers, hiking shoes. Sign in at the Municipal Park information panel.

Brazo Tristeza Trail

Distance: 12 km one way (24 km total, full day). Difficulty: hard. Trail for experienced trekkers. Reaches the closed Brazo Tristeza fjord, one of the most remote walkable areas of the National Park. Primary Andean-Patagonian forest, hidden waterfalls, possibility of spotting huemul deer and pudús. Bring everything for a full day (food, 3L water, layers, first-aid kit, GPS).

Puerto Pañuelo — Lake Cruises

The classic Nahuel Huapi cruises depart from Puerto Pañuelo:

• Victoria Island + Arrayanes Forest (full day, USD 95): sail to Victoria Island (2h visit, beach, Bella Vista lookout with semi-tame colored deer), then to Los Arrayanes National Park on the Quetrihué Peninsula (1h walk through arrayan forest). Returns to Puerto Pañuelo at 17:00. Operators: Turisur, Cau Cau.
• Puerto Blest + Los Cántaros Falls (full day, USD 110): sail along the western arm of Nahuel Huapi to Lake Frías, on the Chilean border. Primary Valdivian forest. Short trek to Los Cántaros Falls (200m drop).
• Catamaran transfer to Villa La Angostura (USD 65): alternative to the bus to reach Villa La Angostura. 2-hour lake crossing.

San Eduardo Chapel

A small chapel of volcanic stone and wood, built in 1938 by Alejandro Bustillo (the hotel's architect) honoring Eduardo Lozada Viscardi. Alpine style with steep roof and small bell tower. Located 200 meters west of the Llao Llao Hotel along Avenida Bustillo. Simple wooden interior, sober altar. Sunday mass at 10:30 (June-September also Saturdays). Very photogenic with the lake backdrop. Free entry.

What to Combine with Llao Llao

Llao Llao is part of the classic Circuito Chico. Ideal full-day plan:

1. 8:30 — Leave Bariloche center.
2. 9:15 — Playa Bonita (photo stop).
3. 9:45 — Cerro Campanario (chairlift + summit cafe).
4. 11:30 — Llao Llao (1h30 visit): hotel, chapel, Puerto Pañuelo.
5. 13:00 — Lunch at Il Gabbiano or Los Cesares.
6. 14:30 — Arrayanes Trail (1h30).
7. 16:00 — Bahía López, panoramic viewpoint.
8. 17:00 — Colonia Suiza (afternoon tea).
9. 18:30 — Back to Bariloche center.

See also: Bariloche, Circuito Chico, Cerro Catedral, Villa La Angostura.