What to see
Lago Puelo
Just 4 km from the town of Lago Puelo, this protected area owes its name to its main body of water: Lake Puelo. Surrounded by pure pitra and cypress forests, it can be navigated on guided excursions with touring or lake kayaks, and on horseback along its coast and fording rivers and streams. Very close to the lake, there are picnic areas with fire pits for daytime use. At the northern head of Lake Puelo, “La Playita” is one of the few sandy beaches in the region.
Trekking trails
The best way to get to know the park is on foot. There are several trails of different levels of difficulty and duration to choose from: among the shortest and easiest are the Pitranto Grande, immersed in a forest of pitras and myrtles (1 km, 1 hour and a half round trip), and El Chucao, which tours the foothills of the Currumahuida hill (1.5 km, 1 hour and a half round trip). The path to the lake viewpoint is a little more demanding (900 meters with some elevation gain, 2 hours round trip), although it is ideal for visiting with the family. The circuits El Faldeo, Huella Andina, El Turbio and the Los Hitos trail are the longest in the park.
Puelo Lake (town), Azul River and Motoco Valley
In the surroundings, the town of Lago Puelo is just 4 km from the national park and has accommodation of different categories, gastronomic and cultural proposals and all the services.
Another nearby attraction is the Azul River, which flows into the northern bank of Lake Puelo. From the walkway over the river, 2 km from the town, several trails lead to the Cárdenas waterfall (15 min), the Blanco River viewpoint (40 min) and the Motoco refuge (8 hours), within the Protected Natural Area Río Azul - Lago Escondido (ANPRALE), which has capacity for 40 people, a camping area and food service.
