Puerto Blest & Lake Frías tour: Boat, waterfall, rainforest

Boat across the lake, rainforest hike, and a waterfall in one morning, then explore Lake Frías and the Condor's Nest Wall

A full-day tour from Bariloche combines a boat trip across Lake Nahuel Huapi, a rainforest hike to Los Cántaros Waterfall, and a visit to the historic bay at Puerto Blest, with an optional extension across Lake Frías toward Mount Tronador. The tour includes hotel pickup, a local guide in English or Spanish, and access to Centinela Islet, where the remains of Argentina's National Parks founder rest. An optional Lake Frías extension lets you sail past the Condor's Nest Wall and see the glacier-fed green waters and the mountain border between Argentina and Chile.

Step-by-step itinerary

Boat trip and nature exploration

• Depart from Puerto Pañuelo
• Sail to Centinela Islet
• Visit Francisco Moreno's remains
• Hike to Cántaros Waterfall
• Admire ancient alerce tree
• Sail to Puerto Blest
• Explore Lake Frías shores
• Optional sail on Lake Frías
• View Condor's Nest Wall and Mount Tronador

The experience

If you have a full day free in Bariloche and want to see the region's most famous sights without arranging your own transport, this tour handles the logistics. You're picked up at your hotel and driven to Puerto Pañuelo on the Llao Llao Peninsula, where you board a boat for a one-hour sail across Lake Nahuel Huapi's Blest Arm. The route passes Centinela Islet first, a small stop where you can pay respects at the tomb of Francisco Pascasio Moreno, the founder of Argentina's National Parks system. From there, the boat continues to the trailhead for Los Cántaros Waterfall.

The hike itself is a stepped path through the Valdivian rainforest: lush, dense, and unlike anything most visitors see elsewhere in Argentina. You climb to Lake Cántaros, the source of the waterfall, and stand in front of an alerce tree over 1,500 years old, a massive ancient presence that the guide will point out. The waterfall drops through the forest canopy, and the whole walk takes place under the shelter of old-growth trees. After the hike, you return to the boat and sail five more minutes to Puerto Blest itself, a historic bay that has drawn explorers and travelers for over a century. Here you can walk the shores and explore, or simply sit and take in the landscape.

The tour's optional extension takes you across Lake Frías, whose distinctive green water comes from glacial melt off Mount Tronador, the mountain that marks the border between Argentina and Chile. You'll pass the Condor's Nest Wall, a rock formation where the birds nest, and weather permitting, you can see Mount Tronador itself rising in the distance. If you skip the extension, the tour ends at Puerto Blest and you return to Bariloche by boat and car. The whole experience runs about six and a half hours from pickup to drop-off.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Bariloche.
• a local guide in English or Spanish.
• boat passage across Lake Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Blest and back.
• access to Centinela Islet.
• the rainforest hike to Los Cántaros Waterfall and Lake Cántaros.
• the Lake Frías extension with views of the Condor's Nest Wall and Mount Tronador if you choose that option at checkout.

Options for this experience

2 options

Only BlestGuide in English or Spanish · 08:30BLEST: Puerto Blest Circuit with Cascada de los Cantaros, round-trip transfer service. Duration: 6 hours. Excludes: food and drinks. Lake Frías is NOT included. Includes pickup.

Hidden Gems of Patagonia: Puerto Blest, Falls and Lake FríasGuide in English or Spanish · 08:30Full tour, pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 35

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 20

Prices and times updated 17 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomeNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Ni Lo Pienses Tour

Is this one for you?Choose the Lake Frías extension if you want to see the glacier-fed green waters and Mount Tronador. Skip it if you prefer to spend more time at Puerto Blest and the waterfall without the extra boat ride. The fixed schedule fits all three main stops (the islet, the waterfall, and Puerto Blest) into a single afternoon, so you don't need to choose between them.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What's the hike to Los Cántaros Waterfall actually like?

The hike follows a stepped path through temperate rainforest to Lake Cántaros, where the waterfall originates. It's a walk through dense old-growth forest where you'll see the 1,500-year-old alerce tree, and the path is graded for most fitness levels, though the terrain is uneven and wet in places.

Can I see Mount Tronador on this tour?

Mount Tronador is visible weather permitting, and only if you book the Lake Frías extension. The extension sails you across Lake Frías past the Condor's Nest Wall, where the glacier-fed green water and the mountain border between Argentina and Chile come into view.

Is the boat ride rough, or is it a calm sail?

Lake Nahuel Huapi can have wind and chop, but the boat trip to Puerto Blest is generally a scenic cruise across the lake's Blest Arm. The journey takes about an hour each way, and the boat is a standard passenger vessel used for this route daily.

What time does the tour start, and when am I back at my hotel?

The tour includes hotel pickup at your Bariloche accommodation and drop-off at the end of the day. The full tour runs about six and a half hours from pickup, so timing depends on your hotel location and the exact departure time your operator confirms.

Do I need to pay anything extra for the national park or the boat?

The tour includes the boat rides and the guide, but Nahuel Huapi National Park charges a separate entrance fee of US$15 per person, payable on the day. Port taxes are also separate from the tour price.