Villa Pehuenia, Land of the Araucaria Tree
Pehuenia is the name the natives gave to the zone in which the Pehuén (araucaria araucana) dominates.
Located in the center-west of the province of Neuquén, the region extends from the north coast of lakes Aluminé and Moquehue to the north, the mountain ranges located north from Lake Queñi to the south and from Primeros Pinos and the mountain ranges of Catán Lil to the East, limiting West with The Andes.
Filled with valleys, forests and lakes, this sector of the province of Neuquén is of great value. The most important cities are Villa Pehuenia --the tourist heart of the zone-- and Aluminé. The two first are united by generally well maintained provincial dirt roads.
The region has a pleasant climate with average temperatures between 15ºC and 20ºC in summer and below freezing in winter.
their way lodgings put several signs on the roads
to guide them.
The humid winds of the Pacific access to this zone that is green and fertile, generally humid, with high precipitations towards the West (on the mountain range) where prosper forests of ñire, lenga, coihue, cedar, rivet, radal cypress and maitén grow. In many of these camping is allowed.
The zone cut North to the South by the Aluminé river and has many lakes of great beauty with clear waters in which rainbow and brown trout abound for the enjoyment of sport fishermen, in particular lovers of fly casting.
Villa Pehuenia
This is a small town on the shores of Lake Aluminé. It was created not long ago to be the heart of this very active region that draws more and more tourist every day.
From Villa Pehuenia you can visit beautiful landscapes on Lake Aluminé, go on to Lake Moquehue.
Nearby is the Winter Park on Volcano Batea Mahuida which is operated by the Puel Mapuche community. Drive past the park and you can hike up to the top of the volcano. Inside is a small lake surrounded by the jagged edges of the crater. The view is fantastic and if you want to you can drive and park only 300 meters from the crater