Bahía Túnel by car

The road to Bahía Túnel

• 35 kmthere and back
• Paved and gravel20 km + 15 km
• 3 to 4 hwith stops

If you have more time, this ride adds a gravel stretch to the shore of Lake Viedma to the roadside viewpoints. It is 10 km of paved road on Provincial Route 41 and, from the turn-off, 7.5 km of gravel to Bahía Túnel.

As the road gently descends towards the lake, one of the best views in the area opens up: the turquoise water of Lake Viedma with the mountains behind.

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Kilometre by kilometre

The points of interest, in the order they appear from El Chaltén:

1. 1.2 km0.7 miYPF fuel point (Módulo de Abastecimiento Social, MAS): a basic fuel station with regular petrol (nafta súper) and diesel only. In season it is usually open from 8 am to 8 pm, and it has no public facilities such as toilets or water.
2. 2.2 km1.4 miFirst viewpoint: the view of the town, the peaks and the De las Vueltas valley. Condors often fly past, and black-chested buzzard-eagles are frequent too, both high up and flying low.
3. 6.3 km3.9 miDe las Vueltas river canyon: car park and a trail of just 200 metres to the edge of the canyon. Another postcard of the steppe and the southern Andes, with the fast, winding De las Vueltas river below.
4. 9.9 km6.2 miTurn-off to Bahía Túnel: turn right (south) onto the gravel road.
5. ≈ 15 km9.3 miBahía Túnel viewpoint, unsigned: about 5 km after leaving the tarmac, as the road gently descends to the lake, there is a fine view of the lake with the mountains behind it. A real postcard, worth a quick stop for a photo.
6. 17.5 km10.9 miBahía Túnel, on the shore of Lake Viedma: the port where the Aventura Viedma excursion departs.

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At Bahía Túnel

The road ends at the port of Bahía Túnel, on the north shore of Lake Viedma. This is where the Aventura Viedma excursion sets off, sailing across the lake to the glacier.

Flora and fauna along the road

The road crosses the steppe and reaches the lakeshore, where the birds of the grasslands and the shore join in. These are just some of the plants and animals you may come across.

The steppe

• Coirón grasses: the tough tussock grasses that give the steppe its golden colour.
• Mata negra and neneo: low, stunted shrubs, adapted to wind and drought.
• Calafate: the thorny shrub with yellow flowers and purple berries that gives its name to the neighbouring town.
• Flowers: in spring, flowers such as the desert amancay or the evening primrose (Don Diego de la noche), which opens its flowers at dusk, peek out among the shrubs.

The animals

• Black-faced ibis (bandurrias): with long, curved bills, they forage in the grasslands near the lake.
• Upland geese and ducks: on the shore and in the nearby lagoons.
• Guanaco: roams the steppe in herds and crosses the road without warning.
• Condor and black-chested buzzard-eagle: they soar over the steppe and the viewpoints.