Bariloche Travel Guide
Bariloche, also known as San Carlos de Bariloche, is a city in the province of Rio Negro, Argentina. The city is particularly famous for its skiing opportunities due to being located in the foothills of the Andes. In addition, the city is surrounded by huge lakes which provide many water sports facilities.
Due to Bariloches location on the border between Argentina and Chile, there were several disputes over which country Bariloche was recognised with. This resulted in a significant delay in modern settlement around Bariloche; there were no houses or shops in the region until 1895. The modern settlement of Bariloche occurred as a result of a Chilean immigrant named Carlos Wiederhold, who opened a little shop near the current-day city centre. This resulted in a settlement developing around the shop, made up of Austrians, Chileans, Germans and Italians. By the 1909, there were 1250 inhabitants in the region, resulting in construction many buildings, a telegraph, a post office and a railroad by the 1930s! Many speculated that the city looked like a little Switzerland, due to many of the buildings being constructed out of wood. The similarities are still evident today!
In present times, Bariloche is a tourist haven as tourism is the main economic activity of the region. Skiing is particularly popular; the city is home to one of the most important ski centres in South America, Cerro Central. Thus, in winter (Central Europe and North Americas summer) tourists flock from all over the world to hit the slopes!
Today the city has a population of over 130,000, which all came about as a result of one man. The citys fascinating modern history makes it a fantastic tourist destination, in addition to the brilliant skiing opportunities!