Seven Lakes Road
It is the stretch of Route 40 between San Martín de los Andes and Villa La Angostura. It is 110 km, about 2 hours without stops, along seven lakes. Give it more time for the viewpoints and detours.
What the road is like
This is the stretch of Route 40 that most people drive purely for the pleasure of driving it. It is paved end to end and takes two hours, but that figure is misleading: the road is made of viewpoints, and every lake asks you to stop. Espejo and Correntoso get the photographs; Falkner and Villarino are the ones that surprise you.
Set out early, when the water is still and the lakes are working as mirrors. There are detours worth taking: Villa Traful to the east, the Vullignanco waterfall, and the entrance to the arrayán forest at Villa La Angostura. In winter some shaded stretches ice over, so drive calmly and carry chains.
Route facts
Places to stop
- Pil Pil viewpoint, in San Martín de los Andes.
- Vullignanco waterfall, visible from the road before Lake Falkner.
- A natural viewpoint between Espejo Chico and Espejo Grande.
- Pebble beaches and bays on Lake Correntoso.
- Ruca Malén stream bridge, a fishing spot about 4 km south of Correntoso.
Detours
- Lake Hermoso: about 20 km from the road.
- Lake Traful: by a detour near Lake Escondido.
- Lake Meliquina: about 40 km from San Martín de los Andes.
When to go
In summer, autumn and spring it works for trekking, fishing, kayaking, rafting and cycling. In winter, from June to August, there is snow at Chapelco and Cerro Bayo: carry chains and drive carefully.
Destinations you can reach
- San Martín de los Andes: Catritre and Quila Quina beaches on Lake Lácar (reached by boat, or by car on a gravel road), Bandurrias viewpoint and Cerro Chapelco.
- Villa Traful: Mirador del Viento viewpoint, the submerged forest (diving among petrified trees) and the Co Lemu waterfall, a short walk.
- Ñivinco waterfall: a short walk off the road. You have to ford a river: bring shoes that can get wet.
- Villa La Angostura: Los Arrayanes National Park (visited by bike or on foot), Bahía Brava and Bahía Mansa beaches on Lake Nahuel Huapi, and Cerro Bayo (skiing in winter and hiking in summer).
- More lakes nearby: Hermoso, Traful, Hua Hum, Nonthué, Meliquina and, further north, Lolog.