Argentina Travel Planet

Lago Posadas, Santa Cruz

Patagonia has long been famed for its natural beauties, delicious specialty foods, and world-class snow sports. It is so large and wild, however, that there is still a plethora of undiscovered — or at least hardly traveled — locations to be explored. Lago Posadas is one of those locations. In fact, some call it one of Patagonia’s best kept secrets.

Located in the province of Santa Cruz, it has just begun to promote itself as a tourist destination. The small town of Lago Posadas has just 24 city blocks and only 300 inhabitants. Its origin lies in the old ranch house inns, located along the traditional wool route. In 1949 it was transformed into a full-fledged town, with the basic services. Just a step from the lakes Posadas and Pueyrredón, and it is the center of operations for visiting the isthmus which runs between the two lakes, the mouth of the Oro River and the Cerro San Lorenzo reserve.

The two lakes are each of a different, striking blue color, creating a beautiful contrast next to each other, sitting under a light blue sky, and surrounded by deep blue mountains in the distance. Lago Posadas itself is a deep turquoise, more something you would expect to find surrounding a tropical island than a lake deep in the heart of Patagonia. And it is certainly not surrounded by palm trees and sandy beaches; instead, its rough terrain — white, rocky dirt and dark green shrubs and plants — provide even more contrast to the sparkling teal water. The rocks that make up the foothills are striated with copper, painting a beautiful backdrop.

The small strip of land between the two lakes was created during the last ice age by the remains of a glacier, which is now covered by sand dunes.

While the locale is basically a town, the services offered are extremely limited. In fact, it has not yet met the requirements to officially become a municipality. As a village, though, it technically has two names: the traditional Lago Posadas, and the government given name, Hipólito Yrigoyen.

Accommodation can be found at inns such as Posada del Posadas, which is made up of two separate buildings, with basic rooms and hot meals provided onsite, as there are no local restaurants. Another local inn is called Rio Tarde, a red house right along the lake, offering spectacular views from a lovely environment.

The area can be explored along the rough roads that run through the area, each maintained just enough to make it passable. The road to get to Lago Posadas is a long, 75 kilometer dirt road off of Route 40, not often traveled either, but enough so that it is not too hard on your vehicle. Gasoline can be found in the town, as well.

The town is thrown right into the tourist circuit that includes Perito Moreno and Los Antiguos, making it an ideal and somewhat easy place to visit. The private sector has been working to promote tourism in the area since 2006, and the public sector is jumping in to help the cause, as well. The area is just stunning, and deserves to be seen by those interested in the raw beauty of Patagonia. For more about Patagonia, see this Argentina Travel Guide.

While the recommended visiting time is the summer, due to harsh winters, the winters offer great sport fishing. All other activities, however, are best enjoyed during the summer, when the climate is more agreeable.