San Carlos de Bariloche, also called the Argentinean Switzerland, is situated in the southwest of Río Negro province, beside the south coast of Nahuel Haupi lake and is surrounded by the national park of the same name.

It is a busy and commercialized city with more than 120.000 inhabitants that holds many tourist attractions that make the city one of the main tourist center of Argentina. Each year more than 700.000 tourists visit the region to enjoy the wonderful possibilities that the combination of the Patagonian desert and the rain forest of the Andes gives.

Only 1,640 kilometers away from the city of Buenos Aires, this tourist city has a hotel and gastronomic infrastructure that was first developed over eight decades ago. Not only is San Carlos de Bariloche a mandatory destination for students on their graduation trip, but it also welcomes visitors from all over the world who enjoy its wonderful landscapes, its tourist services and the facilities of one of the main ski resorts in Argentina: Cerro Catedral.

Tourism, both national and international, is the main economical activity of Bariloche, all year around. The main ski station is the one at Cerro Catedral. During the summer, beautiful beaches such as Playa Bonita and Villa Tacul welcome sun-bathers and some brave lake swimmers (the waters, from melting snow, are always very cold. Lake Nahuel Huapi averages 14 °C in the summertime). The fishing season is another great attraction. Bariloche is the biggest city of a huge Lakes District, and serves as a base for many excursions in the region. Trekking in the mountains, almost completely wild and uninhabited with the exception of a few high-mountain huts, is also a popular activity. The city is also famous for its chocolates.