I have always loved a good road trip. I have even been known to enjoy an average road trip now and then. Something about heading out, covering the distance, seeing a lot of cool stuff in a short period of time.
It’s like the entire concept of travel condensed down small enough to fit into a Toyota Aygo. Which is why we were never going to miss out on the Ruta de Los Siete Lagos (Seven Lakes Route) drive while in San Martin de Los Andes, one of the most beautiful places in Argentina, a place famously full of them.

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Of course, road trips come in many different shapes and sizes, from epic overland journeys to hectic week-long sightseeing adventures, such as our recent Northern Argentina Road Trip. However, some, such as the Ruta de Los Siete Lagos, are simply leisurely one-day drives, making them very easy to plan.
1. Notice favourable weather forecast
2. Rent tiny car
3. Research arcane parking laws of San Martin
4. Park, nervously
5. Sleep
6. Get up in morning, grumpily pluck $50 parking ticket of windshield, start driving
The Seven Lakes Route is one of the most famous sections of the extremely famous Ruta 40, the impressively scenic and undeniably really, really long road that stretches for more than 5,000 kilometres from the bottom of Argentina to the Bolivian border.

The Ruta de Los Siete Lagos is known for its beautiful Andean scenery, appealing campgrounds, rural feel and, oh, around 7 or so very gorgeous lakes. Although that part is a bit weird since, by our count, there are more like 9-10 lakes, all of which are quite nice, if I do say so myself. So why the arbitrary cutoff. Size? Depth? Politics? Are some of them actually new? Hard to say. Just know that, while there are certainly 7 excellent lakes to enjoy on the 7 lakes route, don’t limit yourself, there are plenty more to be had…
The point of all of this, of course, is that the Ruta de Los Siete Lagos is fantastic, and you should definitely do it if you make it to this part of the Andes. If you’re comfortable renting a car and doing it on your own, we recommend Discover Cars – we used them in San Martin to book through Hertz and got a cheaper rate than I was offered in person. We’ve used them all over the world and always had good experiences.

But if you don’t fancy all the driving, just prefer to sit back and enjoy the ride or like to have a guide to fill you in all the history and backstories, there are several good Ruta de Los Siete Lagos tours to choose from. Most start from Bariloche but you can choose to get picked up in Villa la Angostura or ask them about options for leaving from San Martin.
Where to Stay
The Seven Lakes Route runs for 110 kilometres between San Martin de Los Andes and Villa la Angostura, two small, pretty ski villages located on the edge of gorgeous lakes and surrounded by incredible mountain scenery. Whichever one you choose, you can’t go wrong. Or you could spend time in both, for compare and contrast purposes. Either way, here’s brief overview.
San Martin de Los Andes
Seemingly the perfect size – completely walkable if you’re feeling at all energetic, yet big enough to have a real supermarket and multiple ski shops. The streets are wide and tree-lined, there are quiet walking paths along a small river and a picturesque beach/lake. There are a few good hikes right around town, loads of outstanding photo spots, plus a nearby ski resort where you can fully escape into the mountains if you like.

And if you are interested in exploring the wild landscapes and epic volcanoes of Parque Nacional Lanín, San Martin is a couple hours closer that Villa la Angostura.
Yes, it does tend to get pretty windy at the beach but, on the other hand, they have one of those colourful signs spelling out the name of the town, perfect for the tourist that likes to take a very self-explanatory photograph.
Where to stay
Budget
Cabaña Nonthue is a comfortable apartment with private parking located in a very quiet part of San Martin (not that there are many loud parts). It is simple but has nice outdoor areas and is cheaper than most apartments in town.
Mid-Range
Loretta 207 offers a two-bedroom apartment with a fully equipped kitchen and nice mountain views close to restaurants and grocery stores. For such a nice place, it is competitively priced even if you don’t have extra people.
Luxury
Apart Quillen is a beautiful chalet with all the comforts you could want in an ideal location close to both the main plaza and the beach. This one is a 3-bedroom but there are other variations to fit the size of your group.

Villa la Angostura
A bit bigger and busier than San Martin, Villa la Angostura boasts a pretty cool name and rather than one beach on one lake, it is literally surrounded by lakes (some of which also have decent beaches). It also has a ski resort, one which happens to be right on the edge of town, making it easy to access for biking and hiking.
And, while San Martin offers better access to the natural splendours of Lanín National Park, Villa la Angostura is only a couple hours from lovely and extremely popular Bariloche, one of the nicest cities in Patagonia. On average, hotel prices in Villa la Angostura are a bit higher than San Martin and true budget options are tough to find. There are lots of good mid-range choices, though.
Where to stay
Mid-Range
Ubuntu is among the cheapest options in Villa la Angostura. It has simple rooms with shared bathrooms but fantastic terraces with mountain views and people rave about the included breakfast.
Casa Los Coihues is a spacious 3-bedroom chalet located right in the heart of town with easy access to everything you could want. There is a nice garden, a fully equipped kitchen and private parking.
Luxury
RyF Casa de Montaña is a lovely 3-bedroom chalet on the edge of town with beautiful outdoor space, views, private parking and a terrace. Perfect for a group of friends to share.
Viewpoints Map
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Ruta de Los Siete Lagos Highlights
Leaving San Martin at 8 am seemed to be early enough to beat most of the traffic and we were completely alone at the first few photo spots. Another big benefit to going early in the morning is that the sun was not only low and the light gently perfect, but almost every mirador faced west, meaning the eastern sun was ideal. Sorry ‘bout your luck, Lago Faulkner.
True to the multiple forecasts we had firmly put our faith in, the weather was absolutely perfect. Clear blue skies, calm reflective lakes and just the right temperature to have the windows down. So, here you are, our favourite viewpoints on the Ruta de Los Siete Lagos.
Lago Hermoso

The “Beautiful Lake” is a 2 km dirt road detour off the highway but when we visited first thing in the morning it was perfectly reflective and we had it all to ourselves. There is a even a great dead tree for posing and a classic wooden dock. Great spot.
Mirador del Lago Villarino

Nothing more than a small pullout but loved the yellow flowers, reflective lake and snow-covered mountains. A nice combination, that.
Mirador Lago Espejo Grande

You may be noticing a trend – we love calm and reflective. Lago Espejo means “Mirror Lake”, so I guess it would have been disappointing if it WASN’T reflective. Either way, the view is even more stunning thanks to the beach, forest and snowy mountain range in the distance.
This viewpoint is a couple minutes drive off the main Ruta 40 but well worth the small detour.
Mirador Bahia Manso
Even though it was starting to feel like we might have been getting numb to all those amazing lake/mountain miradores, I decided it was still worth heading into Parque Nacional Arrayanes to tackle the 30-minute hike up to a pair of high Villa la Angostura viewpoints. There is a sign that shows a 20,000-peso ($US20) entrance fee but that only applies to going further into the park, not the closer viewpoints.

Well worth it! In fact, Mirador Bahia Manso (also called Mirador del Puerto on some maps) might have been the highlight of the entire Ruta de Los Siete Lagos. With two calm blue bays neatly separated by a tiny, forested isthmus (where our car was waiting) and a pair of little beaches – all backed by the ubiquitous mountains, of course – this is a particularly unique view. And although the hike is steadily uphill it isn’t that long and anyone should be able to manage it if you go at your own pace.

There are actually two viewpoints up there, adding to the adventure. The second one, Brazo Norte, is beautiful as well, but didn’t quite make the cut as a top highlight and is listed below.
Other Notable Spots
Listed in the order you will reach them while driving south from San Martin:
Mirador Lago Lacar

One of many terrific places to enjoy the view on this amazingly scenic lake next to San Martin. For a more extensive list, check out:
The Best San Martin de Los Andes Photo Spots
Mirador Pil Pil

Cool name, average view.
Mirador Lago Machónico

Quite nice.
Mirador Cascada Vuliñanco

Reasonably decent view of an impressive waterfall, even without hiking closer.

Mirador Lago Faulkner

Large and impressive lake with mountains behind, of course, but didn’t show up as well in the morning with the sun shining behind. Would be much better in late afternoon.
Lago Escondido

Lago Escondido means “Hidden Lake” and the name is quite apt. You can see almost nothing of it from the “mirador” but can scramble down through the trees to reach the shore. Not really worth it, though, in our opinion.
Cascada Ñivinco
If you’re feeling energetic or just want a break from driving, there is a relatively short hike (2 hours return) to visit this waterfall. We had it under consideration for our journey back to San Martin but decided we were more interested in a beer on the square instead. If you decide to hike, check the latest trail conditions – some parts of the year the river crossings can be tricky.
Lago Correntoso

This huge, weirdly shaped lake stretches almost all the way to Villa la Angostura so there are actually multiple different viewpoints along the way. There were two particularly nice ones near the north end, which is also where we ran into our first tour vans of the day at 10:30 (mostly from Bariloche).

Lago Espejo Chico

Small and cute but, somehow, not reflective at that particular moment in time. We didn’t stay long.
Lago Espejo

Before reaching the fantastic Lago Espejo Grande viewpoint, we stopped to enjoy our packed lunch at one of the cute little beaches on Lago Espejo. There was also a snacks and drinks stall, too, if the mood strikes.

Mirador Inalco

Here we got our first expansive views of iconic Lago Nahuel Huapi, a massive lake that curves all the way around to Bariloche (not that you can see that from here).
Mirador Puerto Arauco

A cool viewpoint with flowers and boats and docks and a little islet, or maybe peninsula. Nice, whatever it is technically called.
Rio Correntoso


Allegedly the “Shortest River in the World!”, this adorable little river passes under a rustic bridge to join gigantic Lago Nahuel Huapi to the smaller but also large Lago Correntoso. You can drive off the highway just south of the bridge and pass underneath to get to another, even cuter, bridge and walk or drive along the southern shores of Lago Correntoso (and yet more viewpoints, obviously).

Mirador Malvinas Argentinas

Other than Lago Hermoso, this was the only mirador that felt a little bit off the beaten path. Only a few blocks off said path, but still.
Mirador Brazo Norte

The lesser of the two miradores in Parque Nacional Arrayanes but only in relative terms, it is still pretty stunning. And, let’s face it, you’re up there anyway.
Summary
We are happy to report that the much-hyped Ruta de Los Siete Lagos completely and totally lived up to that hype. Just a really stunning stretch of mountain scenery, full of wonderful alpine lakes and exceptional hangout spots. We struck out at 8 am, covered the entire route by 12:30 pm and were back in San Martin dropping our rental car off by 3:30 pm, which meant we could easily have added on some additional hikes or lounging time if we’d wanted.

It is also worth pointing out that, in addition to the spectacular scenery, the highway is immaculate, the signage meticulous and the pullouts generally “big enough”. And then, to top it all off, a more careful inspection/translation of our parking ticket revealed a 50% discount if paid within 72 hours – sort of a win!
The end.
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