I rented a car for the day in San Martin de los Andes and drove north, turning right just after Junin and taking the gravel road Ruta 61 into the Parque National Volcan Lanin.
Initially a dry scrubland, it wasn't long before I found myself in a deep, dark forest by the side of an immense acquamarine lake - Lago Huechulafquen.
Through most of the drive, I had a magnificent view of the Volcano itself. How many photos can you take of a beautifully conical volcano with a huge glacier on the summit? Dozens! But here are only a few of the best.
Just beyond the big lake, is the smaller Lago Eulaufquen - reachable only by boat. Here are two shots: looking towards the Chilean border, and a relatively recent lava flow stopped by the lake with a dwarf forest taking root. The photo on the right is the end of the road ... literally. The mountains at the far end of Lago Paumun are the continental divide, and the border with Chile.
I finished my day with a swim in the glacial Lake Huechulafquen. Here's the beach, and here's a slightly chilled me.
