Hiking in San Martín de los Andes was an unexpected surprise — we only found out about it on a ferry, talking to a local who pointed us in the right direction.
We were crossing over to Uruguay for a long weekend, standing in line, fumbling through our best Spanish with a local guy who asked what our plans were in Argentina. We told him Bariloche. He nodded and then said — have you heard of San Martín de los Andes? We hadn’t. He said that’s where I go. Said it was beautiful, quieter, worth it. And that was enough.
We’d come off about a week in Bariloche, which had been stunning and busy and full of hiking. The plan was loose — we knew we wanted to keep moving through the mountain towns of northern Patagonia, and San Martín was about four hours north by bus, which made it a natural next stop. We booked an Airbnb with a kitchen and a little living room for the week — I don’t think we paid more than $300, which is typical for Argentina — found our bus tickets through a company called Via TAC at the main terminal on the outskirts of Bariloche, and showed up on time. The bus came on time. The luggage loaded seamlessly. Four hours later we pulled into the bus station in San Martín, which sits right at the edge of a beautiful lake, and walked to our place from there.
The Town
San Martín reminded me immediately of Vail. Not in size — it’s smaller and quieter — but in the way it’s set up. Ski shops, chocolate shops, good restaurants, the kind of town that clearly has a winter season that absolutely rips and a shoulder season that’s peaceful and a little sleepy. We were there in October, their spring, and the mountain wasn’t open yet. It felt like arriving in a ski town in May — everything still there, nobody rushing anywhere.
The town has two main grocery stores, a handful of really good restaurants, and an almost embarrassing number of chocolate shops. Same brands I’d seen in Bariloche — there’s something about the German and European influence in these mountain towns that results in excellent chocolate everywhere you turn, and I was not complaining.
The Weather Situation
We got rained on. A lot.
After the luck we’d had in Bariloche — mostly sunny, great hiking conditions — San Martín gave us the other side of Patagonian spring. It rained most of the week and we had to adjust. My boyfriend found a gym he liked. I did home workouts. We made stews from the grocery store, watched movies, opened our laptops and caught up on things we’d been ignoring for weeks of moving.
And honestly? It was fine. More than fine. When you’re doing long-term travel you’re constantly packing, moving, catching buses, orienting yourself to new places. Sometimes having a rainy week that forces you to slow down is exactly what your brain needs. We unpacked. We cooked. We stopped being tourists for a few days and just existed somewhere. I think those recharge weeks are underrated when people plan these kinds of trips — you can’t run hard every single day for months and not feel it eventually.
We did manage two solid hiking days when the weather cooperated, and both were worth every muddy step.
Hike 1: Sendero Mirador Bandurrias / La Islita
This is the most accessible hike from town and the one I’d send anyone to first. It starts with a walk toward Lake Lácar along General Roca or any parallel road, then a left onto Pasaje Bandurrias which eventually becomes Federico Gesiuff and takes you to the trailhead. At the park entrance you pay a small donation — 1500 ARS when we went — to the local Mapuche community who maintain the trails. Worth every peso.
From there you have two options and I’d recommend doing both.
La Islita takes you through shaded forest on a calm, quiet trail that descends to the lakeshore. You pass a few houses but mostly it’s just trees and birdsong and then suddenly you’re standing at the edge of crystal clear water with mountains rising on every side and a small island sitting in the middle of it all. It’s a genuinely beautiful spot — the kind of place you sit for longer than you planned because there’s no reason to rush away from it.
Mirador Bandurrias gives you the elevated version — a short climb to several lookout points above the lake. Each vantage point is slightly different and together they give you a real sense of the lake’s size and how the mountains frame it. The hike back into town from here is an easy downhill walk.
Combined the two trails are about 12 kilometers round trip, maybe two to three hours depending on how long you linger at the lake. Easy to moderate. Bring snacks and don’t rush it.
Hike Details
- Distance:
- Mirador Bandurrias: 4 km (2.5 miles) round trip
- La Islita: 6 km (3.75 miles) round trip
- Combined: ~12 km (7.5 miles) round trip if you do both
- Duration: ~2–3 hours
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Hike 2: Sendero Arrayán to the Arrayán House of Tea
This one was my favorite, and not just because of the destination — the navigation was half the adventure.
I spent a while on AllTrails and Google Maps trying to figure out the route up because nothing was written out clearly. What I eventually pieced together is that there are two ways up: the service road (RP19), which is gradual and straightforward, and a trail option that cuts more directly up the mountain through a mix of hiking and mountain bike paths. We went up the trail and came down the service road, which turned out to be exactly the right call.
The trail starts on General Roca heading toward the lake, then right on Coronel Rohde to where the street dead-ends and a small trail entrance appears on the right. It’s easy to miss. A local at a street crossing pointed us in the right direction when we were standing there second-guessing ourselves — which is something I’ve found happens constantly in these small towns if you look even slightly lost. People just help. We followed the trail up, took a few turns we weren’t sure about, reminded ourselves we could always turn around, and kept going. The direction is always generally up, and eventually all the paths funnel out onto RP19 regardless of which variation you take. The uphill is aggressive in sections and the trail had some mud from recent rain, so coming back down the service road was the right move.
Along the service road there are several lookout points with benches where you can stop and take in the lake below. Each one is a little higher and a little more expansive than the last. Even if you drove up instead of hiked, these stops would be worth it.
At the top is the Arrayán House of Tea, an English-style tea house sitting above the lake with views that make you stop talking mid-sentence.
I should be upfront: neither of us are tea people. At all. I drink tea when I’m sick and occasionally when I’m trying to convince myself I’m being healthy. My boyfriend is the same. We went because people kept recommending it — our Airbnb hosts, online reviews — and because I read that they had cakes.
We arrived slightly before opening and found a small trail looping around the property with wood carvings and little benches and structures shaped like teapots. It took about fifteen minutes and was charming in a way I didn’t expect — a nice little thing to do while you wait, and it lets you see the property, which also has rentals if you want to stay up there overnight.
When they opened we went in and were handed a menu of teas — all described by flavor and what they were good for — and each person gets their own small teapot. You put your tea leaves in the center, pour the hot water over, flip a little timer, and when it’s done you pour and drink. For someone who doesn’t drink tea it was a genuinely cool experience because the flavors are nothing like a tea bag from a grocery store. Fruity, complex, actually interesting.
The views from the table look out over Lake Lácar with the Andes behind it. There’s a fireplace. It’s cozy. Other tables had the full food experience — little tasting plates with sandwiches and cakes and desserts that looked incredible. We hadn’t timed our hunger right so we just did the tea, which I slightly regret. If you go, go hungry and do the whole thing.
Is it expensive? Yes, for what it is. Is it worth it? Also yes. You’re sitting in a tea house in the Andes mountains looking out over a Patagonian lake. You don’t do this every day. Spend the money.
Hike Details
- Distance: Varies depending on the route.
- Duration: ~1–2 hours (round trip, depending on stops).
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate.
Directions to the Tea House
- Service Road (Easier Option):
- From the town center, head to the intersection of Avenida Koessler and Calle Félix Amador.
- Turn right onto Félix Amador, which becomes RP19. Follow the road uphill to the tea house.
- Trail Option (More Adventurous):
- Start on General Roca or a parallel street toward the lake, then turn right on Coronel Rohde.
- Just before the street dead-ends, you’ll see a small trail on the right. Follow it to Juez de la Paz Julio César Quiroga, turn left, and after two minutes, you’ll find a steep uphill trail.
- The trail has a few steep sections and mountain biking paths, so be cautious. It leads to RP19 near the tea house. We took this trail up and the service road down, which made for a fun workout with great views along the way.
Getting There: Practical Notes
From Bariloche, Via TAC runs direct buses to San Martín de los Andes. Buy tickets at the main bus terminal on the outskirts of Bariloche — the whole process is straightforward and the ride is about four hours through genuinely beautiful scenery.
Airbnbs in San Martín are easy to find and very affordable by any standard. Look for something with a kitchen — you’ll want it, especially if the weather turns on you.
The town is walkable and small enough that you don’t need a car for the hikes described here. Some trails in the area do require a car to access so if you have one you’ll have more options, but these two kept us more than busy.
Final Thought
San Martín wasn’t on my list before a stranger on a ferry mentioned it. That’s still one of my favorite things about this kind of travel — the itinerary you didn’t plan ends up being the one you remember. A rainy week, two good hikes, a tea house neither of us expected to love, and a town that felt like Vail in its quiet season. Exactly enough.