Esquel
is a different place. A small city with a very Patagonian
flavor, that gradually opens itself up to tourism. Everything
is still authentic here, setting Esquel apart from the more
developed towns of northern Cordillera. It is embedded in
a rough lanscape, where the steppe merges with the forest,
in the land of the maitén trees and the calafate
bush. To the east, close to town, you will find the rocky
mountainsides that lead to La Hoya, our family-oriented
ski center. The imposing, red Nahuel Pan of almost 7.000
feet encloses Esquel towards the south. And to the west,
opens the marvellous farmland of the 16 de Octubre valley
and the nearby Los Alerces National Park, a wonder of nature.
Further, the road to Chile, where you can take the beautiful
Carretera Austral.
Here
the history and traditions of the Mapuche and Tehuelche
peoples mingle with the saga of the Welsh settlers and the
romance of the American outlaws, along with the struggle
of the pioneer sheep farmers that arrived much before civilization
reached the land. Adding the remarkable narrow-gauge steam
railway making its tourist excursion through the steppe,
and the man-museum opened by the Benetton family at their
huge estancia in Leleque, plus the pristine beauty of the
national park with its crystalline lakes and many thousands-year
old alerce trees, we get a full menu of attractions. Esquel
surely deserves your visit.
