Esquel, Argentina is a small town in the northern Patagonia region. It is lesser known in the world-wide tourism community due to its lack of promotion but it is a great town to stop at if you are in the region.
Why would you decide to visit Esquel, Argentina? The overall Patagonia area has with few airports and plane travel can be expensive and bus travel is a great way to explore the area. However, when going between two hubs in Patagonia, El Calafate and Bariloche, the bus route takes over 26 hours! Esquel, Argentina is one the bus route between the two hubs and allows you to cut the bus trip shorter. While it still takes over 20 hours to go between El Calafate and Esquel, stopping in this town for a few days allows you to visit a town that may not have been on your radar, with some activities that are similar to those found in Bariloche. You can read more about the bus trip between El Calafate and Bariloche here, which also describes some other bus travel options in the region.
If you want to skip the long bus ride, you can consider a flight between El Calafate and Bariloche, especially if you are short on time in your exploration of the region.
The other advantage to visiting Esquel is that it has many attractions, and, because it is a lesser-known destination, the price of accommodations, food, and attractions is lower than other popular towns in the region. It is incredibly family-friendly with activities that range in difficulty and intensity and a town that is suitable for families, couples, and solo travelers.
Below are some of the attractions that can be found in Esquel along with where to stay and where to eat throughout the town.
Everything To Do in Esquel, Argentina
The map below, provided by the tourism office of Esquel, Argentina, shows the variety of activities to do in and around the Esquel area. You can explore these with a car, hiring a taxi or private transportation, or using the local bus service. Some activities you can find include:
- Kayaking
- White-water rafting
- Horseback riding
- Skiing La Hoya in the winter (July – September) – you can read more about it in the link.
- “Tuneles de Hielo” or Ice Tunnels – to visit in the summer, an ice tunnel that reflects a kaleidoscope of color. You can read more about the excursion in the link.
- Campo de Tulipanes in the spring (October) – beautiful fields of blooming tulips with the Andes mountains in the background. You can read more about it in the link.
The Blueprint Travelers had the opportunity to visit in the summer and was able to check out some of the top attractions in the area. Here is the breakdown of some of these different activities.
La Trochita in Esquel, Argentina
La Trochita is an original steam-engine train that still runs in Patagonia. While the total length of the track is 402 kilometers, today, you can ride a portion of the trail from either Esquel or Maiten. While it is the same train line, these trains always start and end in the same destination. You cannot go from Esquel to Maiten via train. This is seen as purely a tourism activity and not a means of transportation today.
The train from Esquel, Argentina takes you on a round trip to Nahuel Pan, a local indigenous community in the area. However, given the age of the train and the lack of maintenance of the track, there is a chance that your trip may be cut short because of a mechanical issue. This happened to Blueprint Travelers during their excursion and below is their experience.
Booking Your Train Ticket
You can purchase your tickets for the train online here prior to the ride. The train does not run every day, and while more frequent in the summer months, you may need to plan around the availability of the train for the rest of your trip. You also get to pick your seat on the train. The train cars that are smaller have padded seats and the larger ones have benches. In the winter, all train cars are heated with a wooden stove fireplace and in the summer, the breeze of the Patagonia air flows through the train cars.
The Train Journey
When you get to the train station, you will check in and receive your official train ticket. If you have time, you can walk through the train museum next to the station, which has information about the construction of the train tracks and some memorabilia from the original train. You can also use the time to take photos of the engine and train cars with few people around.
Once the conductor rings the bell to board the train, you will find your train car and seat. They will give you a safety talk about the train and tell you about the different features of your ride. This is all done in Spanish. There is a dining car at the front of the train where you can purchase snacks and drinks while the train is moving. In your train car, a guide will give you information about the train itself, its history and characteristics along with info about the landscape around you.
In addition, a local musician will play some songs for you so you can understand and appreciate the local culture. Music is a big part of the local native populations and supporting local artists helps celebrate and continue that culture.
Along the journey, you will see landscapes from both sides of the train. While the right side has beautiful panoramic views of Esquel, Argentina and the valley, the left side has great views of the Andes Mountains.
Here is where our train broke down and unfortunately, they were not able to fix it. We had to hop off the train and walk along the tracks to the road where, after an hour-long wait, some buses came to pick us up and return to Esquel, Argentina.
The Train Destination: Nahuel Pan
Ultimately, you are supposed to arrive at Nahuel Pan, a local Mapuche community. Here, the native community has a market with crafts and local food and is the place to get lunch. After your experience here, you will return on the train for a journey back to Esquel, Argentina.
There are other blogs that write about their experience visiting this community but we want to be realistic about this experience and explain all the possibilities with this attraction. It is also possible to go to Nahuel Pan via taxi instead but the train ride to and from is absolutely worth it when it works.
Laguna La Zeta
Above Esquel, Argentina is a small mountain lake which is a great place to relax and enjoy the weather. It is about a 4-5 kilometer walk from the center of Esquel and is uphill along the side of a dirt road most of the way. If you do not want to walk, you can also take a taxi to the lake. Here, there is a beach, a cafe, and a place to rent kayaks. Bring a towel, picnic, and book and relax while looking at the mountains.
Parque Nacional Los Alerces: Visiting the Alerzal Milenario
The nearest national park to Esquel is Parque Nacional Los Alceres, a large park in the Andes Mountains. This park has beaches, campsites, hikes, and lake excursions that you can get to directly from a bus from Esquel, Argentina. You can visit the unique trees of the park, after which it is named. They are in an isolated part of the area and only accessible by boat, requiring a guided visit to the area and limiting the number of people who can visit.
You can purchase tickets online here for the excursion, which includes the boat ride to the Alerces and a guided hike around the trees. The whole tour is done in Spanish but the views are still valuable if you cannot understand what is said.
Getting to the Parque Nacional Los Alerces
There are two bus companies that provide transportation to and from the park: Transporte Jacobson and Transportes Esquel. These websites display current bus schedules to the national park. If you also want to visit the Alerces trees, search for the destination “Lago Verde”. You can purchase bus tickets at the bus station. Make sure to purchase a return ticket as well!
From Esquel, it takes 2.5 hours to get to Lago Verde. You can ask the bus driver to drop you off at “Las Pasarelas”, slightly before the Lago Verdo because it is the trailhead that you will walk down to get to your boat dock. If you are driving yourself, there is a parking lot here as well to then walk the small trek to the dock.
The Alerzal Milenario Excursion
It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the boat dock. The walk takes you across a river and through a forest. At the dock, you will check in and board the boat. (You may want to get to the dock 30 minutes prior to departure to make sure you can be in the front of the line to board and get a window seat on the boat for the beautiful views.)
For your first stop, you will boat by the Torrecillas Glacier to take photos. If you are interested in exploring this glacier, you can search for other excursions that allow you to hike to the glacier.
While on the boat, you will eat your packed lunch that you will need to bring with you while enjoying the passing mountains. To find to-go options in town, you can check out section below about “Where to Eat in Esquel”. Ultimately, you will arrive at your destination where you will see your first Alerce tree. This is the oldest one in this section of the park at 2,600 years old, the Alerzal Milenario. These trees grow incredibly slowly at only 1 millimeter a year in height. Unfortunately, loggers previously cut down many of the trees that grew completely straight but left the ones that did not have straight veining. Because of how slowly these trees grow, it is impossible to replace those that have been cut down. This is why this area is so well protected today.
Then, you have the option to continue on a hike for about an hour to see more trees and explore the landscape. This hike was optional and those who cannot do the walk can opt to stay near the dock and enjoy the views.
Finally, you will return to the boat to go back to the initial docks. From here, you can hike back to where the bus dropped you off and waited for your bus to return to Esquel, Argentina.
If you can, bring some sandals with you so you can dip your feet into the river you initially cross at the end of the day because of how hot it can get in this region. It’s a nice way to pass the time while waiting for your return bus.
The Blueprint Travelers Hiking Staples
To Relax in Esquel, Argentina
Esquel is a great town to decompress in for those who are spending a longer amount of time in the Patagonia region or are from the area. If you are looking for some different options to relax, you can consider going to Masoterapeutas G.U.M.E for a massage and Patagonia Pilates for pilates. Both are highly recommended by Blueprint Travelers.
Where to Stay in Esquel, Argentina
Esquel is a small town and the center is only a 15 minute walk from the bus station. There are a number of Airbnbs with great value near the town center along with some hotels that give you easy access to the restaurants and bars of the center of town.
Where to Eat in Esquel, Argentina
The following are some of the highlights of our dining in Esquel:
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- Don Chiquino – a nicer Italian-style restaurant
- Fitzroya Pizza – local pizzeria
- La Luna Restaurante – local Patagonian fare in a casual environment
- Amado Cafe de Especialidad – a cafe with great sandwiches. (We got sandwiches from here for our excursion to the national park)
- Empanadas Patagonicas – a casual and delicious empanada spot that only has food to-go
- Rider Brewing Bar – a brewery with nice pub fare
- Heladeria Serenata – the best local ice cream spot
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