Rio Limy: More adventures in the outback of Bariloche March 2025
Another wonderful day of exploring the the majestic natural beauty around Bariloche, this time heading east out of town into a completely different landscape. Moving inland the land became flat with just scrubby bushes - as if (may be it had) the lake had only recently vacated the area. The day before, another rainy one, we had explored to the west and Puerto Angostura; still on the shores of Largo Nahuel Huapi and Route 40 but further north and into Neuqen Province. We had visited the ski resort and the small lakeside town and had amazing hand made pizza in a rock memorabilia restaurant.
Today we turned onto route 237 moving further east. We picked up the Rio Limy another majestic deep azure blue river. Flowing fast towards the Atlantic. Here the mountains seem softer, more rounded with scrubby bushes and groups of poplar trees in the folds and recessed of the hills. Dragging up my O Level Geography, it must be quite flat here as the river meanders and has created ox bows and islands.
We stopped first at a natural amphitheatre with wonderful view of rock escarpments on the far side and the gorge, we also stopped, in true Gorge and Nora style, at El Mangrullo Fly, a camp site, fishing and event venue for a look around. A wonderful place to stay with gorgeous lodges in the grounds looking over the Limy.
Continued along rout 237 we cae to the tiny hamlet of Pilcaniyeu and the only place and way to cross the river was by ferry on the Balsa Maroma.
My driving experiences of the week before on the stone mountain roads and precarious plank bridges had been good practice for the 45*, pitted, dirt road decent to the ferry and boarding by way of flimsy boards which were flipped up and down at each end of the boat. I couldn't quite work out how we were powered across the short breadth of the river; there was a person winding a mechanism but only from time to time and there were also solar panels. 🤷♀
While the car and I were ferried across, my friends took the suspension foot path.
Crossing the river was like stepping back in time.
On the other side the hamlet was only a few street in size, mostly built into the hill side and cleverly using containers on platforms to build houses. wild dogs sleeping in the shade and a noon time quite over the buildings. There was even tumble weed in the road!!!!
Homes here are smaller, generally one room with a sleeping room to the side or above and an indoor or outdoor bathroom . However there is always an asada (bbq) and, for a more affluent family, a covered outdoor area.
Apparently it’s quite mild here in the winter, especially in the lea of the mountain, with not too much snow but that would still be for 6 months of the year!
After a siesta in the sun we tried to visit a lavender farm and an ice cream farm, both closed but as the ice cream shop owners were also friend it’s seems there are few people Jorge and Nora don’t know) we drove into their garden, parked our car and had a good look around; ...son’s house here .... uncle’s house here .... grandparents house … we walked to the end of the garden, through a gate and there was a beautiful stretch of the Rio Limy with a landing stage for a boat and fishing. This is such a beautiful, remote, tranquil area, only 30 mins from Bariloche , all be it by ferry 8am- 8pm only, why would you not move all the family here?
Next stop Mate and coffee on a wooded island created by bends in the Rio Limy. We had to reach it by paddling across the shallows of the river, but first we had to negotiate 2 little goats grazing near by. So cute !!
Apparently the area, although surrounded by estancias is little known by tourist and even at the peak of the season Jan/Feb there are no more that 8/10 people here. We had the place to ourselves- well - us and the goats!
The island, although a little wiffy of goat was delightful and we had a lovely paddle/ wade in the shallows which were not too cold after the initial entrance (wishes I’d put my shorts on!!) Gisela and I found the another island and in the far side was the main Rio Limy.
Jorge was enjoying a nap in the sun and when we returned from exploring and paddling there was a goat standing over him. As we prepared for drinks and snacks the goats moved in and were very persistent. I was assigned chief goat wafter and remover. Firstly by fapping my shirt and then when flapping and clapping didn’t work, tapping and progressively slapping with a flip flop, I resulted to physically removing them my leading one by the horns.
The melee was added to by the appearance of a big dog who wanted to play orheard them, I’m not sure which and the goats clearly used to this were having none of it and continued to cavort over our picnic blanket!
As you can imagine it was clearly time to pack up and leave the chaos behind but the goats clearly enamoured by us, or our picnic, followed us back over the river to the bank.
Gisela and the goats!!
back in the car and to my surprise we headed out on the very bumpy dirt road away from the ferry. Jorge and Nora were looking for a particular farm. The road held close to the Limy and the vistas kept opening up, each more spectacular than the last. It reminded me of old Wild West films where there would be a homestead in the lea of a mountain beside a sparkling river and birds of prey overhead.
We stopped at a few places and eventually got directions from a farmer in a pickup truck and headed into a compound where we met Lai Lai and her husband who seemed to be pensioners with livestock and Lai Lai was a gardener. She lead us through their land and into an enormous market garden in the shade of the mountain. Here were so many fruits and vegetables all growing somewhat tangled together. Beautiful fat strawberries, raspberries even peach and nectarine trees just ripening. (How these survive through the winter I have no idea!)
We picked strawberries and peas and admired their garden on the slopes of the mountain and their single story wattle house before setting off again. Still not back to the ferry but along the terrible track again, this time we drew into the space beside a small house which was being built just above a loop in the river, the most idyllic spot. It appears that the farmer who gave us directions earlier is in fact a policeman from Bariloche and is building in this amazing place either to live in or rent out to fishing tourists. His family are near by, his cousin was working with him and his grandma is further along the track. We were given a grand tour of the place, upstairs and downstairs, Jorge making connections and cementing friendships.
Then it was a speedy return on the bumpy road to catch the ferry with mins to spare and return to Cathedral mountain for dinner with my friends. Afternoon tea her is 7-9 pm and dinner 10-12 midnight.
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