Discover Los Cipreses

Los Cipreses combines the landscapes along the Río Futaleufú with guided horseback rides, a scenic walking trail and seasonal experiences featuring tulips and strawberries. When planning, it is worth noting the different time commitments: the short rides last half an hour or one hour, while another horseback tour takes approximately eight hours. There is also a trail that requires a reservation, wine tourism experiences and local crafts.

Getting Your Bearings and the Landscape

Los Cipreses is on National Route 259, 30 kilometers from Trevelin. The 39-kilometer Ruta Galesa between Trevelin and the Chilean border also passes through the town before reaching the border. The two distances provide different points of reference: the national highway locates Los Cipreses in relation to Trevelin, while the Ruta Galesa describes the route to the border. The town also has a visitor and information center.

The scenery of Los Cipreses at the Río Futaleufú international crossing includes cypress forests, waterfalls and streams on the mountain slopes.

Horseback Rides and Trails

Cabalgatas Apus offers family-friendly guided horseback rides led by residents of Los Cipreses. The service is available year-round, weather permitting. Short rides in the Los Cipreses area last half an hour or one hour. As a longer option, Cabalgatas Apus offers an approximately eight-hour round trip along the Huella Andina from Paso Guzmán to Lago Bagillt.

The Sendero Mirador del Paraíso is a walking trail of about one hour, with a low difficulty level and panoramic views of the Río Grande and the Trono de Nubes. You must book the outing with the local Baqueano guide. One of the short horseback rides and the walking trail are each listed as taking approximately one hour, but they differ in activity and booking requirements: one is a scenic walk, the other a guided horseback ride.

Trekking in the Área Natural Protegida Lago Bagillt is rated moderate to high in difficulty. Conditions and access rules may vary. This differs from the lower difficulty level of the Sendero Mirador del Paraíso and offers a useful comparison when choosing between the two outdoor activities.

Seasons, Wine and Crafts

At Establecimiento Plantas del Sur – Tulipanes Patagonia, two million bulbs bloom in the Ledesma family’s tulip field in October and November. If the tulip bloom is the deciding factor for your trip, these are the right months to visit. Legua 13 adds a fruit-growing experience to the seasonal outing: visitors can learn about the operation and pick their own organic strawberries; this experience is also seasonal.

Los Cipreses’ Patagonian-style wine tourism experiences include Chacra Baruk and Bodega Entre Senderos. Casa Yagüe’s vineyards were planted in 2014, 500 meters from the Río Futaleufú.

Casa de la Artesana brings together women artisans, craftspeople, artists and producers along National Route 259. Its offerings include wood crafts and handwoven textiles made from local wool. Alongside the landscape and horseback rides, local crafts offer another distinct travel experience.

Estación de Piscicultura Arroyo Bagillt is located in the Los Cipreses area and offers information about trout. A guided visit gives families with children the opportunity to interact with and feed the fish.

In the Futaleufú Department

Parque Nacional Los Alerces is located in the Futaleufú Department. The national park was established in 1937 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. From Esquel, it can be reached via National Route 259 and Provincial Route 71 to Villa Futalaufquen. To reach the southern area of the protected area from Esquel, take National Route 259 via Trevelin and the road to Complejo Hidroeléctrico Futaleufú; this road is 45 kilometers long.

A moderately difficult trail runs through Parque Nacional Los Alerces from Villa Futalaufquen to Puerto Limonao along the shore of Lago Futalaufquen. It is four kilometers each way.

Discover more destinations: La Aldea, Lago Futalaufquen.

Return to the main travel overview: Futaleufú Department.