Outings and excursions · San Martín de los Andes
Lake Lolog and Villa Lolog: beaches, kayaking and fishing
Photos: Inaragon · CC BY-SA 3.0 / Estany3 · CC BY-SA 3.0 / Estany3 · CC BY-SA 3.0 / Supersuperluis · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Just 12 km from San Martín de los Andes, Lolog brings together the shallow waters of Playa Bonita, kayak outings and trout fishing on a big, peaceful lake.
Twelve kilometres north of downtown San Martín de los Andes, along provincial route 62, there's another lake and a slower pace. Lolog covers about 35 km² at 899 metres above sea level; it was carved by glaciers and its deepest point goes beyond 200 metres. Part of it lies inside Lanín National Park, and it drains to the southeast into the Quilquihue River, which later joins the Chimehuin.
At the head of the lake the road forks. Before crossing the river, about 200 metres to the left, a track drops down to Playa Bonita: a broad stretch of sand and pebbles where the water barely reaches your knees for quite a way out. That's why families with small children love it, and in summer it fills with groups who spend the whole day by the shore. There are lifeguards and restrooms in season, and at sunset the lake often goes completely still.
That same shallow, quiet water is an invitation to paddle. In summer kayaks are rented by the beach, and you can follow the shoreline at your own pace, with the far bank covered in pines and the hills behind. If the wind picks up, stay close to shore: this is a big, open lake.
Taking the right-hand branch, you cross the bridge over the Quilquihue, a spot well known to anglers, and the road keeps hugging the lake. On the east shore sits Villa Lolog, a still-young resort village on private land. About five kilometres further on is the turnoff to Puerto Arturo, already within Lanín National Park, a quiet corner facing the water for resting and taking photos. Beyond that the track narrows, and spotting foxes or hares is not unusual.
Lolog is also one of Neuquén's well-known trout lakes, and one of the few waters in the province that stay open after the general season closes, until October 31, though stricter rules apply during that extra stretch.
- Tour type: Recreational, kayaking and fishing
- Difficulty level: Easy
- Tip: Fishing requires a valid licence and following the Patagonian inland sport fishing regulations; from May onward, Lolog is catch-and-release only, with no trolling and barbless hooks. Before heading out, check the condition of route 62, which has had gravel stretches.
