Outings and excursions · Villa La Angostura
Santa Ana and Dora Falls
Photos: Cecilia Alejandra Davidek · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Off Route 231, on the way to the Cardenal Samoré Pass, a Nahuel Huapi National Park trail reaches Dora Falls in half an hour and, on a full-day hike with a river ford, Santa Ana Falls.
Past the junction with Route 40, about 10 kilometers from Villa La Angostura, Route 231 heads on toward the Cardenal Samoré Pass and slips into an ever denser rainforest. Some 27.5 kilometers beyond that junction, on the right-hand shoulder, a trail in Nahuel Huapi National Park sets off toward two waterfalls on the Pantojo River: Dora and Santa Ana.
One detail shapes the whole day: to reach the trailhead you have to clear Argentine customs, so bring ID for everyone in the car and the vehicle papers. The park suggests arriving early, before 10 a.m., with the free Single Trekking Registration already filled in on the park's website within the previous 48 hours, and getting back before customs closes, as its hours change with the season. There is no public transport; you get there by car or bike.
The path is well signposted. After about 25 minutes it forks. Go left and five more minutes bring you to the bank of the Pantojo, where Dora Falls comes into view: a kilometer and a half each way, half an hour on foot and roughly 80 meters of elevation change. It's an easy walk, though the park doesn't recommend it for very young children.
Santa Ana, to the right, is a different outing. It takes about three hours one way with 270 meters of climbing, and partway you have to ford the river, wading across with wet feet, so pack a spare pair of shoes. After the crossing, keep right for another half hour and you reach the falls, which drop in front of a rock wall with an overhang where you can watch the water from behind. It's a full-day hike for people with some mountain experience.
Timing matters. The Santa Ana trail is closed from May to November and is best done from December to February; Dora is recommended from November to May. After rain or snow the river rises and it's best not to try. There are no facilities and no cell signal along the way.
- Tour type: Trekking and sightseeing
- Difficulty level: Easy (Dora Falls); hard (Santa Ana Falls, with a river ford)
- Tip: Complete the Single Trekking Registration before you set out and check with the park that the trail is open: it usually stays closed until late spring because of high water.
