Outings and excursions · San Martín de los Andes
Lahuen Co Hot Springs and Lake Epulafquen
Photos: Cristian imagine · CC BY-SA 4.0 / NHV · CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
A gravel road through Lanín National Park, past lakes Lolog and Curruhué, to hot springs in the forest beside Lake Epulafquen.
Out of San Martín de los Andes, provincial route 62 first runs past Lolog, a glacial lake about 12 kilometers from town, tucked into a narrow valley and ringed by coihue, ñire, raulí, lenga and cypress forest. This is where a gravel road begins, working its way into Lanín National Park and ending, on the far side, at the Carirriñe pass on the Chilean border.
Further on come the Curruhué lakes, which are actually two: Curruhué Grande and Curruhué Chico, lying in a valley at right angles to the Andes, at roughly 800 meters above sea level. The road follows the southern shore, narrow and steep, which is why few visitors make it this far. Among the lenga and coihue you will spot some of the southernmost monkey puzzle trees (pehuén). To the west, lava from the Achen Niyeu volcano, which hardened in the mid-19th century, left a dark, rugged landscape that reaches the southern shore of Lake Epulafquen.
Epulafquen sits at 875 meters, entirely inside the park, and drains into Lake Huechulafquen. Its name is said to mean "two lakes" in Mapudungun, and people still debate whether it is a lake in its own right or an arm of its neighbor. There is no shoreline road: from the route you see still water, dense forest and, on clear days, the snowy cone of Lanín.
Right by the road, in a forest of coihue, ñire, lenga and colihue cane and less than 10 kilometers from the Carirriñe pass, lie the Lahuen Co hot springs, also known as Baños del Epulafquen: warm water in the woods, on the lakeshore, with little else around.
Check before you go, though. In late 2024 Lanín National Park announced that the Lahuen Co area, including the thermal center, the lodge and the campground, was closed and off limits to anyone outside the park administration, while the stretch of route 62 along Lake Lolog was undergoing roadwork by the provincial highway agency.
- Tour type: Hot springs and scenic drive
- Difficulty level: Easy; the gravel road is narrow and steep along the Curruhué lakes
- Tip: Before heading out, ask at the Lanín National Park headquarters (Perito Moreno 1006, San Martín de los Andes) whether the hot springs area and route 62 are open.
