Volcanoes

La Payunia is a 25,000 km2 volcanic area located southeast of the Argentinian province of Mendoza, at the foot of the Andes and between rivers Atuel and Colorado. It is one of the regions with more density of volcanoes in our planet, with more than 800 cones of different sizes and eruption styles. These quantity and density make La Payunia one of the most important volcanic districts on Earth. Its landscape, made by vast lava plains with many volcanic cones, basalt flows and pyroclastic fields looks like a different planet, making the visit to La Payunia a wonderful experience. The area is candidate...

El Tromen Natural Protected Area is located on the north of Neuquén province, on the Chos Malal and Pehuenches departments, 38 km NE of the town of Chos Malal. It belongs to the Neuquén province jurisdiction, with category of provincial park. It was created in 1971, with an area f 30,000 has.   It management plan, of 1999, defines as conservation goals: - Preserve the natural characteristics and representative samples of the different ecosystems of the area. - Preserve, evaluate and spread the geomorphological and physiographic features of the area. - Protect the populations...

Yesterday, April 22nd, 2015 (ironically the Earth Day) the Calbuco Volcano in Chile erupted. Let’s take a look to what volcanoes are and what are then main ones in the Patagonia region. HOW VOLCANOS ARE FORMED The inner structure of the Earth is made of three concentric layers: core, mantle and crust. The outermost part of the crust is called lithosphere, and there is where the geological processes occur. The core is an alloy of iron, solid in the centre and partially molten on the exterior. The mantle is made of molten rocks, with different temperatures and density; that creates a convective...

Geography Lanín volcano, with a height of 3,776 m, is one of the highest peaks in Patagonia and an icon both for the Mapuche culture and the Neuquén province. It is located near the town on Junín de los Andes, on the border between Argentina and Chile. Three quarters of the volcano are on Argentinian territory, where it gives its name to the surrounding National Park, the Lanín National Park. The other quarter belongs to Chile, where is part of the Villarrica National Park.   Being in a relatively plain area, and surrounded by much lower mountains, Lanín is visible from very far away,...

Recently we took again the 4x4 tour from San Martín de los Andes to the Lahuen Có Thermal Springs, going by some of the big lakes within the Lanín National Park, such as Lolog, Curruhue and Epulafquen, and some other minor ones like the Curruhue Chico (small Curruhue), the Green Lagoon, the Toro Lagoon and the Carilafquen Lake. The tour starts in San Martín de los Andes, taking the provincial route 62 towards the Lolog Lake. The distance to this Lake is 8 miles, by a dirt road which is quite frequented (at least by the Patagonian standards), as there is a significant real state development...

The Pehuén Region or Pehuén Route is a touristic route that covers the mountain area in the center-west of the Neuquén province, north of the Argentine Patagonia. The central theme of the route is the presence in this region of the only Araucaria (or Pehuén for the native Mapuches) forests in Argentina. The route links the three main touristic centers of the region: Aluminé, Villa Pehuenia and Caviahue-Copahue. Other towns like Zapala, Las Lajas and Loncopué are the points of access or stopover along the route.   The Monkey Puzzle Tree The Pehuén or Araucaria Araucana (Monkey...