I visited the Parque Nacional Los Alerces during my trip to Argentina in February-March 2022. Unlike Nan, since I was visiting in high season, access to the park was relatively easy. However, like him, I was also told no at every agency in town. Indeed, I wanted to do the park's flagship activity, the lake safari, which takes you to the millennial alerces. However, only one company offers this excursion in the park and their boat was fully booked for several days. So I had no choice but to go for a simple hike.

In January and February, Transportes Esquel offers daily buses to the park. I bought my ticket the same morning at the company's counter in the bus station. Six vehicles full of tourists were leaving simultaneously that morning. The company makes a stop at the park entrance for everyone to buy their ticket, then continues into the interior where the bus stops at each point of interest to let people off. The journey takes 2.5 hours to Lago Verde, where I was getting off, but the bus continues to Epuyén at the north of the park. The return journey is also at the same time for everyone and the driver makes sure everyone is on board, which can keep you waiting for latecomers for quite a while.

The park is full of trails in several areas. I had chosen Lago Verde as this is also where the boats for the lake safari leave from. The strategy was to show up at the dock and hope that some ticket holders fail to arrive in time. The staff there confirmed that we could have taken their place if that was the case, but luck was not on our side. Nevertheless, this is not the only attraction of Lago Verde. This area, among the busiest, is beautiful. The Rio Arrayanes, with its clear, turquoise waters is magnificent. The rapids that punctuate it offer a superb setting, magnified by the green of the forest and the snowy peaks. The mirador on the Lago Verde itself is also very beautiful. The last point of interest in this sector is the presence of a solitary alerce (el Lahuan solitario), between the footbridge and Puerto Chucao. Although it is relatively small (62 cm in diameter) and only 300 years old (!), we can say that we have seen one.

For the afternoon, the trail to Laguna Escondida seemed a good option, but I noticed on Maps.me that the trail along the Rio Arrayanes was called Viejo Lahuan near its end. So I followed this trail in the hope of seeing another alerce specimen. The trail is very interesting because it passes through several types of forest stands (including a dense forest of orange-barked arrayanes) and is dotted with interpretive signs about them, as well as offering beautiful views of the river. And, as it happens, at the end of the trail we come to a second alerce (el Viejo Lahuan, photo), this one measuring 80 cm in diameter. Although its age was not specified, we can guess that it must be older than the first one.

Without equalling the splendours of Los Glaciares, this Patagonian park nevertheless deserves its place on the list. The scenery is splendid and even a less satisfying visit than a lake safari is worthwhile. I also used Esquel as a base. This town is connected by an overnight bus to Puerto Madryn and Trelew (Peninsula Valdes), but it takes you a whole afternoon and evening to reach Perito Moreno (base for Cueva de la Manos). A word about Trevelin in closing: if you don't need to go there to hitchhike, don't. There is nothing to do in this village, especially in the morning. You need a motorised vehicle to get away from it and visit interesting sites.