Location: Esquel
Top Things to do in Esquel
10 Things to Do in Esquel That You Shouldn't Miss
Esquel is a town in the northwest of Chubut Province in Argentine Patagonia. It is located in Futaleufú Department, of which it is the government seat. The town's name derives from one of two Tehuelche words. One meaning "marsh" and the other meaning "land of burrs", which refers to the many thorny plants including the pimpinella and other herbaceous plants whose fruits, when ripe turn into prickly burrs that stick to the animals' skins and wool or people's clothes as a way of propagation.
Restaurants in Esquel
1. Glaxiar Mountain & Adventure Co.
Overall Ratings
5 based on 123 reviews
Our trip begins at Chucao port, situated on the southeast branch of Menendez lake, which is reached by traversing the footbridge over the Arrayanes river and then walking along the banks of the Menendez river. Once there, we'll get on board our boat and sail for about 40 minutes as far as Nuevo port, where we'll start a walk along a particularly beautiful trail.
Reviewed By HerewardAwake - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
I have been on this trip with Glaxiar several times and I never tire of it. Their boat is in excellent condition, the food provided is excellent, the guides knowledgeable and they are all safety-conscious. There are few glaciers in the world which aren't beset...MoreGracias Jeremy! Esperamos compartir muchas caminatas mas contigo!, junto a tu familia, amigos y visitantes. Nos vemos pronto. Atentamente. Pablo
2. Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 788 reviews
Horarios: Portada Sur: 9 a 17 hs Centro de Visitantes de Villa Futalaufquen: 9 a 16 hs (temporada baja) y de 8 a 21 hs (temporada alta). Intendencia: lunes a viernes de 8 a 15 hs todo el año.
Reviewed By Meriyn - Penarth, United Kingdom
There were no entrance fees in November and one can visit the park using a reasonably priced bus from the bus station at 8am. It doesn't return to Esquel until 9 pm so it was a long day in torrential rain, but perfect in good weather. Take food as no restaurants were open when I visited
3. Frontera Sur
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 115 reviews
Frontera Sur is a travel and tourism company specializing in ski and adventure in Patagonia, with a specific mission: to each customer discovered this corner of Patagonia, through unique experiences, personalized and the highest quality of services, skiing in family or in a kayak expedition exploring some remote location.
Reviewed By nandudu - Buenos Aires, Argentina
we spent six days in esquel early december and we wanted to have a kayak trip within los alerces. we went several times to the agency to arrange the excursion, they agreed but at the end, they never called back or could confirm. my feeling: they only work when they do want to.
4. La Trochita-viejo expreso patagonico en Esquel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 641 reviews
Reviewed By Flavio S - Buenos Aires, Argentina
It's like going to your DVD club to rent "Cinema Paradiso": a very good movie, but specially it has shocking (pleasant) memories. Ok, it's probably not as well conserved as you imagined. Ok, the schedules are not strict (usually gets out with delay) and the final destination (Nahuelpan station) is much more commercially orientated that we would have expected. But the trip is nice, our guide was a cook woman (Erika) and if you're there it's to make a trip to the past, trying to imagine how was life at that time in one of the last frontiers of Patagonia.
5. La Hoya
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 196 reviews
Reviewed By Disfrutator - Buenos Aires
True, like most reviews state, La Hoya is cheaper and much less crowded than Bariloche, Las Leñas or Cerro Castor (all of them in Argentina as well). And the snow quality is fantastic.
However, several slopes are closed at different times and days, for a variety of reasons: wind shear, low season, un-treaded snow, or no reason at all. The fact that the mountain is operated by the Chubut provincial government might be a reason why the caterpillars start treading at mid- morning of a sunny day and not during the night before, in detriment of the skiers.
In the days we spent there, in August, were only able to use four lifts to four different slopes that converged into one same track, so it became extremely boring after a while.
As for food up in the mountain, we tried two different restaurants. The one at the top of the double chair following the quadruple was the best, and the one at the end of the quadruple was terrible. Food and drinks are, in average, 30% less than in Bariloche's Catedral resort.
The road to the top of the mountain deserves a separate paragraph. It is very steep (around 1700 meters elevation in only 12 km), and it lacks guard rails for the most part. So you might to practice your prayers for when it is icy. Salt is thrown on it regularly, but still, you have to go really slow, or risk falling off a cliff.
Overall, quite a deception. A gorgeous geography but poorly managed. I guess the low season is not a great time to go, despite the snow falling up until mid-October.
6. Laguna La Zeta
Overall Ratings
4 based on 256 reviews
Reviewed By hannc01 - Cardiff, United Kingdom
The walk is really nice to the lake just be careful as you have to pass 'the ghetto' on the way up and if they spot you with a camera and all the nice touristy gadgets then you make be robbed. This happened to two young German girls during our stay at 4pm - they had everything taken off them at knife point as they were coming back down the trail. Don't flaunt your gadgets. Besides that the walk up, view and lake are really nice and great thing to do in Esquel. Take a picnic.
7. Museo de Leleque
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 79 reviews
Reviewed By HerewardAwake - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The Leleque ranch is enormous - over a million acres. It stretches almost 100 kilometres, virtually from Esquel to El Maiten, and is owned by the Benetton family. The museum is at the entrance to the ranch and it contains a number of very well presented displays of the history of the indigenous peoples of Patagonia. For the designer of the museum, these were the nomadic Tehuelche people, who had wandered around for getting on for 10,000 years, and the Welsh, who were the first to settle in this part of Patagonia, with the first immigrants arriving in 1865. More recent settlers, including Mapuche indians and other Europeans are ignored on the basis, I assume, that the territory was pretty well tamed by the Welsh and the Tehuelches. The Mapuches have a very active campaign against the ranch and its owners, claiming that the land wasn't fairly acquired. The museum has excellent signage and an audio guide in many languages. Next door is the old farm shop, which now doubles as a coffee venue and a place to buy excellent artefacts and books. An excellent stop-off on the road between Bariloche and Esquel with condors and eagles always putting on a show nearby.
8. Kayak Soul
Overall Ratings
5 based on 32 reviews
Organizacion dedicada al kayak touring, contamos con cinco recorridos diferentes, apuntando a las diferentes necesidades de nuestros clientes. Operamos todo el ano. Los esperamos.
Reviewed By PabloSeltzer - Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Neat companions, helpful, professional, friendly. Great hands-on activity, amazing spots. You shouldn't miss this experience, both in terms of environment and people.
9. Museo Lituano - Villa Olgbrun
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 20 reviews
Reviewed By maca2727 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
en el complejo de las cabañas donde nos alojamos se encuentra el museo Lituano Villa Olglbrun. Es un muestrario de toda la tradición Lituana, trajes, historia, eventos. Muy lindo vale la pena
10. Cholila
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 31 reviews
Reviewed By plazeski - Roxbury, Connecticut
We drove through on our way back to Esquel after a long drive. Could not find a restaurant that looked any good.
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