BREVE RESEÑA History

The word “Puelo” comes from the mapuche tongue and has two meanings: “waters from the East” or “end of the road”.
In 1928 a teacher sent by the governor of Chubut called Remigio Nogues marked the necessity of creating a municipal commission to encourage the preservation of sovereignty. This commission was formed on April, 2nd of that same year, and it was integrated in its vast majority by teachers.
In 1936 a governmental committee visited the zone with the objective of finding places to incorporate to the National Park Systems. A year later, this region was included in the National Park Los Alerces (larch-tree, Pinus larix) with the name of Anexo Puelo (annexed place called Puelo).
The “National Park Lago Puelo” has existed since the sanction of Law number 19.292, in the year 1971.
Families of farmers proceeding from Central and Eastern Europe – specially Polish and Russian people - got established in the locality. With them came their technical procedures to cultivate the hops (humulus lupulus) and “berry” fruits like: raspberries, sarsaparillas, etc. At the same time, these immigrants reflected in their houses typical features of the architecture of their original countries.
The “Provincial Feast of the Wood and its Environs” started being organized in 1992, after some big fires in forests of the area had happen.
During these last years an encouraging group of people has established in this town in search of a different life style, in total integration with the environment.

Geography

Location

This locality settled by the margins of Lago Puelo, constitute the urban base of the park. It is situated in the Northwest of Chubut province and is part of the Comarca Andina del Paralelo 42 (Village of the Andes of Parallel 42), together with El Bolsón (big bag), the Hoyo (the hole), the Maitén, the Manso (smooth), Epuyén, Cholila, Cushamen and Ñorquinco.
The dependency of Lago Puelo includes the urban base, the Village of the Lake, a place called Entre Ríos and Las Golondrinas.

How to get there

By plain:

First of all you have to arrive weather at the airport of Esquel (Chubut province) or at the airport of San Carlos de Bariloche (Río Negro). From there you can arrange your transportation to Lago Puelo in less than two hours taking buses or minibuses.

By car:

From the North of the country: You have to arrive to San Carlos de Bariloche (from Buenos Aires the shortest way is taking National Route number 5). Then you have to take National Route number 258 (covered with asphalt) till you reach El Bolsón. From there you have to take Provincial Route number 16 (also covered with asphalt). The attractive edifications of the Village of the Lake can be observed on the way towards the lake.

From the South of the country: You must reach Esquel and from there drive along National Route number 258 towards El Bolsón. Before arriving to this locality it is necessary to take a deviation towards cerro Radal (Radal hill) and continue along Provincial Route number 16 until Lago Puelo.

By bus:

There are bus companies of long and short distances that come into this town. Normally they make their way until Bariloche, from where buses depart towards El Bolsón every two hours. From there on there are means of transport that can take you to Lago Puelo every hour.

Distances:

El Bolsón (Río Negro province): 15 km/9,32 miles
San Carlos de Bariloche (Río Negro province): 120 km/74,54 miles Esquel (Chubut province): 165 km/102,5 miles
Los Hitos (Republic of Chile): 7 km/4,35 miles

Puelo International Passage (Paso Internacional Puelo)

In a near future the Puelo International Passage will be inaugurated. In this way it will be possible to integrate an international circuit with places of reference such as Puerto Montt in Chile and Lago Puelo, El Bolsón and Bariloche in Argentina.
This passage – that is in the process of construction – will not have the inconveniences of winter blockades and will allow the tourists to be able to go around a landscape without comparisons with lots of lakes, rapids and woods.

Economy

Just as it happens with the rest of the communities of the Andes located in parallel 42, this village that is always seeking for progress, bases its sustenance in family industries of services of tourism and in the production and processing of fine fruits. The main marmalades are made with cherries, strawberries and raspberries.
The “industry without chimneys” comprehends a group of inns and cabins spread out in the valleys.
The homemade gastronomy offered in these establishments or at the restaurants is outstanding, especially dishes based on local trout.
The visitors have multiplied by five in the last years. The inhabitants understand that tourism will be the future resource and keep working to improve the offers in tourism that exist within the frame of the sustainable development and defence of the environment.
Handcrafts recognized for their good quality and the organic viveros (places where they grow and take care of plants) of endives, mushrooms or asparagus constitute another help to the economy of the region.

Population: 5.500 inhabitants.

Topography and Hydrography

The inhabitants of this locality live facing the Puelo lake. The lake is surrounded by high and rough mountains of more than 2000 metres/6564 feet high. The colour of its water is greenish blue - even pale blue sometimes - due to the fine clay contained in its colloidal solution that comes originally from an iceberg.
The valley of Lago Puelo is narrow and long, and the rivers Azul (blue) and Quemquemtreu run along its middle zone. It is the lowest one of the territory of the Andes and it is the place where the National Park Lago Puelo is located. It is protected by the heights covered in snow during the whole of the year, like cerro (hill) Tres Picos, the Currumahuida or the chain of Motoco.

Climate

Due to the fact that the Valley of Lago Puelo is situated only 200 metres/656,4 feet over the sea level, the temperature is mild. This is proved during summer when there are no frostiness or snows, which is the opposite of what happens in other parks of the Andes. During this season the maximum temperatures are higher than 32 °C/89,65 Fº which turn this territory of the Andes into a bathing resort.
In spite of the rainy climate, winter can be really nice. The region does not present any blockades in roads or routes as a consequence related to the climate.

National Park Lago Puelo

It is located on the Northwest of Chubut province, 4 kilometres/2,5 miles from the locality with the same name. In spite of being the smaller national park – with a surface of 23.000 hectares/56,83 acres - you can find basic services to be able to camp, obtain provisions and facilities to go on walks around the lakes.
It was created with the aim of protecting the valley and the boundaries of lago Puelo, where representative species of wood vegetables from Chile exist that cannot be found in any other national park of the Argentine Andes nor Patagonia.
The Puelo lake runs from North to South and presents an occidental branch that unites it by means of a short river to the Lago Interior (located on territory of Chile) and another branch that ends in river Epuyén. Along the valley of El Bolsón runs the Azul (Blue) river, dominated by the cerro (hill) Piltriquitrón. In the South of the lake the Turbio (turbid) river disembogues; its waters descend from the snowed heights.
The topography of the park is mainly mountainous with valleys of glacier origin. The zone of the Andes chain of mountains was intensively modified by the action of the glaciers that formed extensive and deep lakes. Such is the case of the Puelo lake, that drains its waters through the river with the same name into the Pacific Ocean. The rivers of that region, especially river Turbio, have a high tenor of silt or glacier sediment, which becomes higher by the end of summer. This gives a more opaque tone to the colour of the water and a turquoise colour characteristic of this lake in this time of the year.

Flora

There are vegetable species of the Valdivian jungle of Chile. These species only come into Argentina in this area. This is the case of the avellano, tique, lingue and the ulmo. To these specimens we add the autochthonous flora of the Patagonian woods of the Andes: the ciprés (cypress) of the cordillera, coihue, lenga, espino azul (blue espino), radal, arrayán (myrtle) and others. The rosa mosqueta is an exotic plant that has propagated in various places of the national park.

Fauna

The pudú, huemul (deer from the Andes that it is in danger of extinction and that here has developed one of the biggest populations of the specie), the red fox, puma (sort of wild cat), coipo and the hurón menor, are some of the local animals of the region.
Between the bird variety we find the huala, the pato vapor volador (steam flying duck), the bandurria, the woodpecker patío, the Patagonian zorzal and the swan of the black neck.
In the rivers and lakes there are native species such as the trucha (trout) criolla, the perca, the peladilla and the big puyén. Between those that have been introduced by the hand of men we find the trucha arco iris (the rainbow trout), trucha marrón (brown trout), and the salmon encerado (waxed salmon).