Puerto Blest or Isla Victoria? Choosing your Bariloche Boat Excursion

Two of Bariloche’s most popular boat trips are to Puerto Blest with Cántaros Waterfall and Isla Victoria with Arrayanes Forest, and the most common question I see among travellers is how to choose between them.

I’ve had the chance to do both trips multiple times, so today, I want to give you all the information you need to decide between the two.

These boat trips have some similarities: both depart from Puerto Pañuelo, both involve catamaran cruising across Lake Nahuel Huapi, and both allow you to enjoy Patagonia’s landscapes. But that’s where the similarities end.

Puerto Blest feels more remote, more adventurous, and takes you deep into the Valdivian forest. It is an hour-long journey to reach Puerto Blest and once you arrive, you can explore waterfalls, hiking trails, and you have the option to add another cruise on nearby Lago Frías. To me, this felt like a proper nature escape, especially since we opted to stay the night at Hotel Puerto Blest.

Isla Victoria and Arrayanes Forest is a more classic Bariloche lake excursion. It tends to attract more visitors because it is closer to the city. It’s a much shorter 30-minute journey to the island, and there are morning and afternoon departures. This makes the Isla Victoria boat tour easier to include in your itinerary. Plus, you can enjoy the beach, visit a beautiful forest and walk some easy trails.

Because I have done both boat excursions, I’m going to break down both journeys for you. By the end of this guide, you’ll know which boat trip is better for your travel style, schedule, budget and mobility level.

Quick Answer: Puerto Blest or Isla Victoria?

If this is your first time in Bariloche and you want the easiest boat trip, I’d recommend Isla Victoria and the Arrayanes Forest.

It’s scenic, accessible, and works for a wide range of travellers. You get the boat ride across Lake Nahuel Huapi, time on Isla Victoria, and a visit to the Arrayanes Forest on the Quetrihué Peninsula, all in one excursion. It’s a great option if you only have 2 days in Bariloche or you want a lighter adventure day.

But if you’re drawn to waterfalls, hiking trails, and a more remote corner of the national park, Puerto Blest and Cantaros Waterfall is, in my opinion, the more memorable of the two.

So that’s the real difference.

Isla Victoria is the safer option, while Puerto Blest is the more immersive Patagonia experience.

Both trips are worthwhile, but they scratch different travel itches.

Puerto Blest vs Isla Victoria at a Glance

How the Two Boat Trips Are Similar

Before we get into the differences, let’s talk about what these two excursions have in common.

Both trips depart from Puerto Pañuelo, the port near the Llao Llao Hotel, just west of Bariloche. If you’re staying in the city centre, you’ll need to get yourself out to the port unless your tour includes transfers (ours did).

Puerto Pañuelo is about 25 kilometres from Bariloche; the drive can take around 35 minutes without traffic, while Bus #20 can take about an hour, depending on traffic and stops. I would recommend erring on the side of caution and giving yourself a bit of extra time. You don’t want to miss the catamaran! It is recommended that you arrive an hour before your departure time.

Both excursions involve cruising across Lake Nahuel Huapi, which is really part of the appeal. These boat trips are about the journey and not just the destination.

I’ve done both of these trips on sunny days and moody, overcast days, and it’s always special. You get to see the beauty of Nahuel Huapi National Park, which is all about mountains and forested shorelines.

Puerto Blest is a Deeper Nature Escape

We have visited Puerto Blest twice for the day as well as an overnight stay, so I’ll describe what the day visit is like. I’ve experienced the order of activities reversed, but this gives you an idea of what you’ll see on this tour.

First things first, Puerto Blest is a much longer 1-hour journey that takes you deeper into Nahuel Huapi National Park. Because we covered a much greater distance, the landscapes felt wilder and more remote. Once you leave Puerto Pañuelo, there is little to no development, so that means thick forests and mountains as far as you can see.

Puerto Blest is also set in the Valdivian forest, which has a wetter climate and hence is even greener. The further we travelled towards the Argentina-Chile border, the bigger the mountains got.

On the way there, we sailed past Centinela Island, where the remains of Perito Moreno lay. He was the father of Argentina’s National Parks system and an avid explorer. Our captain blew the horn 3 times to pay our respects as we travelled by.

Once we reached Puerto Blest, we disembarked and had free time to explore. Most visitors made a beeline for the peninsula to the left of the port, where the Frias River and Nahuel Huapi Lake meet. It’s a pretty cool spot where you can see the river’s milky turquoise waters mixing with the lake’s much darker waters.

You also have the option of tacking on a visit to nearby Frias Lake. This lake feeds the Frias River and it has the same milky turquoise colour from glacial runoff. This activity has an additional cost and involves a short 5-minute bus ride to Puerto Alegre, where you board another catamaran and cruise 15-minutes to Puerto Frías. This is as far as you can travel on the Argentine side, and there’s an immigration office if you’re continuing further to Chile on the Cruce Andino, which is an even longer trip.

Back in Puerto Blest, the final part of this trip is the crossing to Puerto Cantaros. This is just a short 5-minute journey. Once you reach Puerto Cantaros, you disembark and hike up to Cantaros Waterfall. It’s 700 steps to the top with 3 lookout points of the waterfall on the way up. You can then continue further to Cantaros Lake, which feeds the waterfall and the river that flows into Nahuel Huapi Lake.

I would say Puerto Blest is a fairly active day tour, depending on how much you choose to do, but if you want to see it all, you’ll be on the move! This may not be ideal if you have mobility problems or you’re visiting with a young child. For example, we were travelling with our toddler, so one of us had to stay back at the waterfall.

Book your Puerto Blest and Cantaros Waterfall tour here. Note that the entrance to Nahuel Huapi National Park and the embarkation tax are paid at Puerto Pañuelo.

Puerto Blest Pros and Cons

Pros

• Puerto Blest feels remote because it is! You are in the thick of the Valdivian forest, and it is more dense and greener than other parts of Bariloche.
• You have way more trails to choose from at Puerto Blest, which is nice for avid hikers. These trails lead to the waterfall, lake, and peat bog, just to name a few. Because there are so many options, it feels like visitors spread out a bit more and it’s not crowded.
• Staying overnight at Hotel Puerto Blest is the perfect nature escape. We found it to be so peaceful, and it felt really special having the place to ourselves once the day visitors returned to Bariloche.

Cons

• Puerto Blest is a longer trip that requires more time and energy. This excursion will eat up most of your day, so it is not the best option if you only have a half-day.
• Visiting Puerto Blest is more costly. It’s not ideal if you are on a tight budget and don’t want optional add-ons like the boat trip on Lake Frias.
• The stairs to the waterfall are not for everyone. It can be challenging if you have mobility issues or are visiting with young children.

Isla Victoria is Easy and Accessible

We’ve also done the boat trip to Isla Victoria and the Arrayanes Forest twice, and we have found that the order of the places you visit can sometimes be reversed, but this will give you an idea of what to expect.

After departing from Puerto Pañuelo, we sailed towards Puerto Anchorena, which is the port on Isla Victoria. Here we disembarked and had the option of going on a guided walk. However, we opted to explore on our own and rejoin our group back at the port at the agreed-upon time. Maybe it’s because we visited in the middle of summer, but this tour felt a bit crowded, so that’s why we decided to go at it solo.

We first followed the yellow trail to Playa de los Toros, or Beach of the Bulls, but don’t let the name scare you; there were no bulls in sight. We were lucky enough to visit on a day with little to no wind, so the water was extremely calm. I’m sure it was cold because this is Patagonia, but it was crystal clear and so inviting – it really had me wishing I had packed a bathing suit. We spent a bit of time here enjoying the peaceful setting with only a handful of other tourists who had opted to explore independently.

Another attraction that is advertised in Isla Victoria is the cave paintings or pinturas rupestres. These are geometric and abstract forms that were painted millennia ago. The colours of these paintings are quite faded, and only a handful are visible, so they are easy to miss. It’s probably not of interest unless you’re a geology enthusiast.

We then got on the red trail, which weaves its way through the former national tree nursery, which dates back to 1922. You can see sequoias, pines, oaks, birches, and firs. It was really nice walking this trail and having it virtually all to ourselves.

When it was time to return to port, we boarded the catamaran and continued our excursion to Bosque de Arrayanes, also known as the Arrayanes Forest. Here we once again had the option of joining the guide for a guided walk along the boardwalk or exploring on our own. Since it was not our first time here, we chose to do the walk independently.

The Arrayanes Forest is known as the forest that inspired Walt Disney’s Bambi. We got to see the arrayanes, which range from 300-650 years of age. These cinnamon-coloured trees are quite unique because they have very thin bark, and they feel cool to the touch because of the sap inside them. We had 45 minutes to do the boardwalk loop through the forest and visit the tea house.

We did the half-day tour to Isla Victoria, which gave us one hour on the island, however, you can opt for the full-day tour if you want a chill beach day or more time to hike.

Book your Isla Victoria and Arrayanes Forest tour here. Note that the entrance to Nahuel Huapi National Park and the embarkation tax are paid at Puerto Pañuelo.

Isla Victoria Pros and Cons

Pros

• Isla Victoria is the easier option for most first-time visitors. It’s a shorter journey, so it works better if you don’t have a lot of time in Bariloche. Depending on the departures you choose, you still have time to squeeze another activity in the morning or afternoon.
• The Arrayanes Forest is a real highlight. If you want to visit the forest that inspired Bambi and set foot inside the log cabin tea house, this is the way to do so.
• The scenery is varied. We enjoyed the combination of beaches, forests, lake views, and boardwalks.

Cons

• Isla Victoria can feel more touristic, so it’s not the place for solitude. This is a popular day trip from Bariloche, and 3 catamarans make the daily trip, so you’re bound to encounter other travellers.
• It is less exciting for serious hikers. There are 4 trails on Isla Victoria, but we found them to be pretty light and easy.
• It can feel a bit repetitive if you have already visited the Arrayanes Forest from Villa La Angostura, though we appreciated seeing it both ways. We took a boat to the forest, and then hiked back the full length of the Quetrihué Peninsula (a 12-kilometre trail) back to the port in VLA.

So, Puerto Blest or Isla Victoria?

After doing both, I don’t think this is a question of which excursion is better. They are both beautiful trips, they just serve different travellers.

Choose Isla Victoria if this is your first trip to Bariloche, you want a scenic and manageable boat excursion, or you’re travelling with family and want something that feels easy and classic.

Choose Puerto Blest if you want a more immersive nature experience with waterfalls, forest trails, and a greater sense of remoteness. It just requires a bit more time and more walking.

My honest take?

Isla Victoria is the safer recommendation, but I absolutely loved Puerto Blest!

Better yet, if you have enough time in Bariloche, doing both is not repetitive at all. They show you two very different sides of Lago Nahuel Huapi.