CERRO CATEDRAL

Cerro Catedral is quite simply the most important and chic winter sports resort in the entire southern hemisphere! The 120 km of its ski area are invaded every year by the jet-set and skiers from all over the country and even the continent! While skiing, you can enjoy the magnificent view below on the lake. Alpine skiing is king, but you can also practice snowboarding, cross-country skiing, sledding, snow BMX, snowshoeing or snowmobiling. Cerro Catedral in a few figures, that is 53 slopes, 38 ski lifts, 1,200 ha of skiable surface up to a maximum altitude of 2,180 m. Numerous restaurants, cafés and hotels (a hotel park with more than 3,000 beds), discotheques and a casino, as well as a large shopping centre (Las Terrazas) are present in the resort. It should be noted, however, that the pleasures of a walk on Cerro Catedral are not confined to the months of June to September. In summer, from November to January, you can also reach the heights with a cable car and a chairlift. You will discover the possibilities of guided walks, abseiling, climbing and children's club detailed in a leaflet handed out at the bottom of the gondola when you buy your ticket. You have to admit that the view is splendid from the Punta Princesa snack-bar, where you can drink a good beer or have a sandwich (meat, of course, Patagonia obliges...). The panorama of Lake Nahuel Huapí and its surrounding mountains is complete. From the top, one finally understands what has made the reputation of Bariloche: the site is magnificent! You can even make out the Lanín volcano, at the very bottom in very good weather (ask, you might mistake it for a cloud). However, don't stop at the bar. There is a hiking trail that takes you in about 40 minutes to a breathtaking viewpoint on the surrounding peaks. We walk a little on the snow if there is some, but the small climb does not present any real difficulty. Don't miss this walk, it rewards you with one of the most beautiful panoramas around Bariloche: on the Cerro Tronador in particular and the Lanín volcano in the distance, the surrounding valleys and the site of Bariloche, as well as Lake Gutiérrez. If the wind wasn't so strong, we'd be here for hours. Obviously, if the weather is not good, this trek has much less advantages. To get to the Cerro Catedral car park, bus no. 55 every 30 minutes in summer from Bariloche (preferably at the centre) and every 15 minutes in winter.