The Circuito Chico is a 17 mile (27 kilometer loop) paved road loop to the west of Bariloche that allows you to experience the Patagonia landscape in different ways. While this loop can be done easily by car, in the summer, you can rent an e-bike to do the whole circuit from Circuito Chico Adventure. This will allow you take your time and take in the beautiful Patagonia landscape.
Below is a deeper dive into exploring Circuito Chico, including recommendation of what to do before and after the loop, bike recommendations, and some helpful tips for the whole route. The map we included starts at letter A and depicts the order of activities we did them which are the same as described in this guide. If you are looking for a full day of adventuring, we would recommend this complete Circuito Chicago guide to you. However, if you want to complete the Circuito Chico at a more leisurely pace then feel free to skip the stops that are of less interest to you.
What to Do Before Biking the Circuito Chico
If you want to pack in your days touring a destination then make sure to head to this viewpoint prior to the Circuito Chico (because it is on the way to the bike rental destination for the Circuito Chico).
Aerosilla Cerro Campanario
This activity opens at 9 AM, making it the perfect thing to do before the Circuito Chico (since the bike rental opens at 10 AM). The Cerro Campanario is a beautiful viewpoint of the Bariloche area and surrounding lakes, just an easy chair-lift ride away. We would recommend getting there a little before 9 AM. There are large tour-buses that stop here, and the line can get long, causing for a longer wait and a crowded viewpoint.
To get here, you can take a bus from the Bariloche center and you will be dropped off right at the entrance of the activity. You can use Google Maps to determine the logistics of getting to your destinations in Bariloche. You can purchase tickets for the chair lift right at the entrance.
There are views to the left and the right of the chairlift that give panoramic vistas of the surrounding lakes and mountains.
After you return back down, you can walk .4 miles (.65 kilometers) from the base of the chair-lift to Circuito Chico Adventure to pick up your rental bike.
The Circuito Chico and Our Stops
A. Circuito Chico Adventure - Renting a Bike
Circuito Chico Adventure is the starting point of the Circuito Chico and the best place to rent bikes, including e-bikes. If you are not going to the Aerosilla Cerro Campanario prior to the Circuito Chico, you can take a bus directly from Bariloche to this destination.
You can reserve your bike in advance at this link. The company provides a detailed map, mountain bikes or e-bikes, a helmet, a safety vest, and a bike lock. We recommend reserving the e-bikes because you’re on vacation and you’ll want to enjoy the views rather than struggle through the day on a normal bike.
When you arrive at Circuito Chico Adventure, you will get a map of the route and instructions. The following descriptions of the stops are in the order that we did them in. We also include the helpful tips that the bike company conveyed to us that we found useful. We did the loop in a clock-wise direction and enjoyed this order of activities.
B. Punto Panoramico - Circuito Chico
This stop has a great panoramic viewpoint of the lakes around Bariloche. There are some signs at the viewpoint that call out the different mountains and lakes that you can see. You’ll definitely want to stop here to take in the views!
C. Colonia Suiza
Founded by a Swiss family, this little village is an interesting juxtaposition between the Swiss inspired the tea houses or architecture and the traditional Patagonian food of curanto or asado. The path to the village is a dirt road and the one included in our map above is the one we recommend. There is an alternative dirt road to Colonia Suiza that we were advised to avoid because it was considered more difficult.
D. Berlina
Berlina is an independent craft brewery outside of the Colonia Suiza. They have a wide variety of beers that range from standard to experimental. This is a nice place to stop right after touring through Colonia Suiza. They have a bike rack where you can lock up your bike as well.
E. Cerveza Patagonia
The Patagonia brewery opens at 12 pm. If you arrive here before it opens especially if you are on an e-bike, we recommend you continue on to visit Colonia Suiza and return to this brewery after it opens to avoid wasting time waiting.
This brewery is no longer independent and is one of the most successful craft breweries in Latin America, now owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. They have bike racks to lock up your bike and enjoy the brewery grounds. The location provides a number of different beers on tap along with different burgers and empanadas. All of this can be enjoyed on their lawn with beautiful views. This is a great place to stop for lunch.
F. Mirador Bahia Lopez
Another great viewpoint of the beautiful landscape of this Patagonia region is Mirador Bahia Lopez. It is the first stop of the Parque Municipal Llao-Llao, a park with different hiking trails and beaches that are popular to explore the nature in this area. This particular viewpoint is on the left side of the road if following our recommended loop and is clearly indicated with a boardwalk.
G. Cerro Llao Llao
If you have some hours left in your bike rental, consider hiking to Cerro Llao Llao, an impressive viewpoint within the Parque Municipal Llao-Llao. It is considered one of the best viewpoints in this region and is definitely worth the extra effort.
Parking Option 1
The first option for parking your bike before hiking up to the Cerro Llao Llao viewpoint is at the end of a dirt path off of the main route. You can lock up your bikes around the trees that are found at the end of the parking area near the start of the hike. By using this parking location, you will have a shorter hike up to Cerro Llao Llao.
Parking Option 2
The second option for parking your bike before hiking up to the Cerro Llao Llao viewpoint is right off of the main route and is the official start of the hike. By using this parking location, you will have a longer hike up to Cerro Llao Llao but you will not have to bike down a dirt road.
The Cerro Llao Llao Hike
This viewpoint is at the end of a medium-difficulty hike. This is one of the best views in the Bariloche area and we recommend making time on your Circuito Chico loop to do this hike. After all of the biking, your legs may be a little tired during the hike which is why having an e-bike is a great idea.
The Blueprint Travelers Hiking Staples
After this hike, you can bike back to Circuito Chico Adventure to return your bike before it closes, making this a long and fulfilling day of touring.
