Argentina

Isla Victoria Lodge – Bariloche – Patagonia

The original National Lodge Isla Victoria, set on top of a cliff overlooking Anchorena Bay, has been for years the ideal retreat in Argentina for romantic getaways or honeymoons amongst the high-class youngsters of Buenos Aires. The wooden lodge burned down in 1982, and the new Victoria Island National Lodge was rebuilt in the same architectural style, on the same foundations, in 2002. It has a wood and steel structure and is more modern and spacious than the original. Facing the afternoon sun, the bay, the lake and the Andean peaks, the terrace offers a spectacular view. The large windows in the dining and living rooms extend almost to the height of flying seagulls.

Accommodation: 20 bedrooms with private bathrooms and two suites with balconies, decorated by Delia Tedin's studio with local style touches and a smart boutique-hotel look. Rooms overlook either the bay, lake and mountain range, one of the most beautiful places in Patagonia, or the forests and gardens designed by landscape architect Juan Grimm.

Facilities: The lodge is surrounded by pristine wilderness. Inside you will find wonderful roaring fireplaces, intimate corners, such as the wine cellar where you can taste the finest Argentine wines, or you might seak retreat in the Andean Bar. The Patagonian-Mediterranean cuisine itself is worth the trip to the island. In addition, there is a small spa and sun deck with sauna and heated swimming-pool. It is a secluded world on an island in the far south.

Activities: The resort is surrounded by a captivating wild and desolate landscape that entices vacationers to sheer contemplation and rest, faraway from the hectic world. Those who love quietness will find solace; those who need action even in the mist of breathtaking nature will enjoy the guided walks, mountian biking, and horseback rides designed to make the most of the stay at the island. There are also other activities such as kayaking and canoeing, diving and windsurfing, since Victoria Island is a wooded landmass surrounded by unspoiled waters and coasts.

The island covers an area similar to large ranches in the Pampas, on rugged land, covered with thick southern woods. It offers numerous attractions, from excursions to a deserted secluded beach with lovely gourmet picnic lunches; to challenging explorations of trails in the woods. Most of the island remains untouched by human feet, even those of rangers. Modern moountain-bikes ride along rugged circuits on this landmass emerging from the Nahuel Huapi waters. The horses are excellent and well-trained, equipped with good saddles and trappings, ideal for trekking along steeps trails in the forests. Skilfull guides will enrich your enjoyment of the rich flora and bird life of this untouched habitat.

Trails on Victoria Island:

Guided Excursions: Getting lost on interior roads of an island covering 9,250 woody acres is surprinsingly easy. But losing the right orientation on poorly signaled deer trails is even easier, particularly when walking cross-country. Even with a map, a compass and the aid of a GPS, the right direction is hard to find without the assistance of a local expert. To ensure a plesant experience and avoid losing track in a barrier of bamboo thicket and bramble bushes, the excursions to the northern and southern sections of the island are always guided by local experts.

The Green Maze of Isla Victoria: Guests tour along the natural roads that stretch for 30 miles all around the island either on four-wheel vans, horseback, or on mountain bikes. There are three main earth-roads and half a dozen secondary walkways, plus an endless labyrinth of deer trails which are inviting to long walks except where the land becomes uneven. On these trails, tree trunks show antler scratches; pieces of fallen antlers can be found here and there; and there are signs that certain places are chosen by stags to sleep or roll about. This vast trail serves the semi-invisible deer concentration of more than 1000 male and female inhabitants of all ages, classified in two different species: red deer and native pudu.

The Northern part of the Island (Isla del Norte): Beyond the central isthmus, the Isla Victoria del Norte offers a variety of circuits that visitors may explore on foot, horse or bike. You are limited only by the extension of the territory and the existence of a Natural Reserve area at the northern corner of the island. Nobody should leave the island without traveling from Picada de la Costa (Coastal trail) to Piedras Blancas (a picturesque white pebbled beach). The longest circuit includes a horse or bike ride from Picada de la Costa to Puerto Turbina, then to Laguna del Pescado, and all the way through Picada del Medio and Valle de las Exóticas back to Puerto Anchorena, heading for Aserradero Viejo, at the foot of the Bellavista Hill.

The Southern part of the Island (Isla del Sur): The Isla Victoria del Sur is smaller than the Isla Victoria del Norte, but home to no fewer attractions. Its eastern coast, from Punta Sur to Puerto Escalada, remains unexplored. Mountain climbers will enjoy reaching, without much effort, the summit of Cerro Quemado (3,444 feet high), the highest peak in the island, showcasing a scenic landscape to the north. Climbing to the top, of course, is easier by horse. Rappelling is the only possible way to descend from the top of Cerro Quemado down its steep eastern slope. Encircling Cerro Quemado through Puerto Carbón and Puerto Totoras is an exciting experience, whether on foot, bike or horse riding, although some difficulties may be encountered when crossing certain straits.

History: Isla Victoria was inhabitated by a number of distinct ethnic tribes before the Spanish colonial rule: the Tehuelches from the plateaus on their way to the Aracauno territory; the Araucanos on their raids to the Tehuelche county, and the Canoeros Fueguinos from Tierra del Fuego who were fascinated by the "small interior sea" surrounded by mountains, woods and deserts. Rupestrian paintings and other vestiges evidence the human occupation of the island since ancient times. A mummy of a male Canoero Fueguino was found by archologist Adam Hajduk. Maps drawn by Jesuit missionaires include the lake and its "Tiger Island" (Isla del Tigre), as it was called during that time.

In the beginning of the 20th century Aaron Anchorena, a wealthy landowner, "discovered" and took possession of the island. Anochrena's romance with Isla Victoria only lasted ten years. He gave it back to the National Government together with its facilities, and for over a decade it remained "no one’s land", and deforestation turned most of it into small cattle raising prairies. By the early 20's, Minister of Agriculture Le Breton, decided to foster reforestation of the island. From then on, and until the 50’s the island served as a tree nursery for native and exotic species. A temporary breeding program of small native deer (pudú) was set up in the seventies. Today tourists from all over the world may enjoy the incredible wildlife, beauty and hospitatlity of the Argentine south.