Things to Do in Esquel and Trevelin: Where to Go and How to Get There

The best time to visit Esquel and Trevelin depends on what you want to do:

✅ Summer (December to March): Ideal for hiking, exploring Los Alerces National Park, fishing and other outdoor activities in pleasant weather.

❄️ Winter (June to September): Perfect for skiing at La Hoya.

🍁 Spring and fall (September-November / March-May): Quieter seasons, with colorful landscapes and fewer tourists. Ideal for exploring the area in cool temperatures. If you go in spring, you'll have the chance to see the tulip field.

Trevelin and Esquel are in Chubut province, in Argentine Patagonia.

Esquel has an airport, but it's small, so flights are infrequent and prices are high. We chose to fly from Buenos Aires to Bariloche, rent a car and drive the 5 hours between the two cities. It made sense to us because we recommend having your own vehicle to get around this area. If you don't want to rent a car, the other option is a long-distance bus from Bariloche to Esquel.

We always rent our cars through rentalcars.com.

1. Explore Los Alerces National Park

One of the area's main attractions is Los Alerces National Park, declared a World Heritage Site. It's an incredible place to enjoy nature. The park is huge, with waterfalls, lagoons, many trails, glaciers and the famous Alerzal Milenario, a stand of alerce trees (Patagonian cypress) more than 2,600 years old.

Some of the best things you can do there:

• See the ancient alerces: On Lago Menéndez, you can take a boat tour to the Alerzal Milenario.
• Hiking: There are trails for all levels.
• Lakes and water sports: Kayaking or stand-up paddling on Lago Futalaufquen, Lago Verde or Lago Rivadavia, or boat rides to see the scenery from the water.
• Sport fishing: One of the best places in Patagonia to fish for trout and salmon (with permits).
• Wildlife watching: The park is home to species like the huemul (South Andean deer), the Andean condor and the Magellanic woodpecker.

The park also has several places to camp, as well as hotels.

Here's a complete guide to everything you can do in Los Alerces National Park.

If you don't have a car, the best option is to book a tour of Los Alerces National Park, like this one here.

2. The tulip field

Tulip bulbs have been grown in this area since 1997, with great success thanks to the favorable climate and soil. Today the town exports tulips all over the world!

The beautiful, colorful tulip fields can only be seen in October, and they last just one month (we recommend checking the dates for the year you're going). The private farm with the fields you see in photos is called “Tulipanes Patagonia,” and it's 14 km from downtown Trevelin. On site there's a little food stand for lunch and a teahouse. The entrance fee is ARS 18,000 (2024) per person. You can buy your ticket in advance on the website, but you don't have to.

3. Cascada Nant y Fall

A few kilometers from the tulip field is a natural treasure: the Cascada Nant y Fall Protected Natural Area. Here you can see 7 waterfalls surrounded by Andean Patagonian forest full of cypress, coihue, laura and maitén trees. The walkway past the falls takes no more than 45 minutes, which makes it an ideal outing with family or friends.

The area is open every day from 12:00 to 18:00, and there's an entrance fee.

Cascada Nant y Fall tour.

4. The ice tunnels

The ice tunnels are spectacular formations on Cerro La Torta, at the edge of Los Alerces National Park. The snow that builds up over winter and spring turns to ice, and as summer goes on it starts to melt from the bottom layer up, creating these impressive tunnels.

Visiting the tunnels is a unique experience you can only have in the summer months of January and February. You need to be reasonably fit, since there's about 1 hour of walking uphill.

5. Hike to the Torrecillas Glacier

One of the top attractions inside Los Alerces National Park is the Torrecillas Glacier. To visit it, you have to take a tour that leaves from Puerto de Chucao and sails for about 40 minutes across the beautiful Lago Menéndez to Puerto Nuevo, where the trek begins. The climb is moderate and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. In the first part you walk through Valdivian forest, and then you follow a mountain stream to Laguna del Antiguo, at the foot of the spectacular Torrecillas Glacier.

You can do this tour all year, and we can't recommend it enough. We did it with the people at Glaxiar and were very happy with their professionalism and service.

6. Piedra Parada

The majestic Piedra Parada, 210 m (689 ft) high and 100 m (328 ft) wide, rises from the Patagonian steppe 150 km from Esquel, on the banks of the Río Chubut. Across the river, the Cañadón de la Buitrera has impressive rock walls 100 m (328 ft) high that are a true paradise for sport climbers.

You can go on a tour from Esquel or in your own car.

7. Rafting on the Río Corcovado

The Río Corcovado is about 100 km from Esquel and is one of the best places in Patagonia for rafting, thanks to its crystal-clear water and its rapids surrounded by incredible scenery.

• Difficulty level: II, III and IV
• Duration: About 2 to 3 hours on the water.
• Season: November to April

You can do a 13 km run or a 22 km one. See prices and book the rafting tour here.

8. Wine route (Ruta del Vino)

The Trevelin valley has several vineyards you can visit all year, among them Casa Yagüe, Viñas del Nant y Fall and Contra Corriente.

9. La Hoya

If you visit in the winter season, you can do winter sports at La Hoya.

10. La Trochita

That's the nickname of the Viejo Expreso Patagónico (the Old Patagonian Express), which connected Río Negro and Chubut provinces. It comes from the train's track gauge (trocha), which measures just 75 cm.

Today you can take a 3-hour trip on the famous Trochita. It leaves from Esquel station and crosses the Patagonian steppe, passing through the towns of El Maitén and Ingeniero Jacobacci and the Mapuche community of Nahuel Pan.

The area has a wide range of places to stay, and below we list several options depending on what you're looking for. If you want comfort and services, Esquel and Trevelin have well-equipped hotels and cabins. For total immersion in nature, staying inside Los Alerces National Park is ideal.

Places to stay in Trevelin and Esquel

• Las Bayas Home Suites: A central boutique hotel with an excellent breakfast.
• El Coiron Aparts: Super well-equipped apartments in downtown Esquel, with a continental breakfast.
• El garage: A newly renovated downtown apartment at a very good price.

Places to stay in Los Alerces National Park

• Laguna Larga Lodge: The lodge is on Lago Futalaufquen, with views of the mountains and the lake in a beautiful natural setting. Breakfast is included and there's a restaurant at the lodge.
• Domos El Aura: Domes in Los Alerces National Park, in a magical setting. Very good value for money.
• Cabin in Los Alerces National Park: If you're going as a group and would like to stay several days, this is the ideal option: a mountain cabin for 5 people with a minimum stay of 5 nights.

How many days you need in Esquel depends on what you want to do, but as a starting point, it's a perfect destination for a long weekend.

• 3 days → Perfect for a short getaway. You can visit Los Alerces National Park to see its lakes and ancient forests, plus Cascada Nant y Fall, the tulip field and La Trochita.
• 3 to 4 days → Ideal for exploring more. On top of the above, you can hike in the park and visit Trevelin and its vineyards.
• 5 days or more → To make the most of it. You can add the tour to the Torrecillas Glacier, go rafting on the Río Corcovado, hike more trails in Los Alerces, and stay at an estancia (ranch) or a glamping site for a unique experience in nature.

If you only have 1 day, the best thing to do is visit Los Alerces National Park, the area's one big must-see.