Lonely Windsurfing Planet
The beautiful and windy lake Nahuel Huapi.
By Tomas Djapic June 6th, 2003
Street address : Albarracín 37
Country : Argentina
e-mail address : tomasdjapic@hotmail.com
Name of location : Nnahuel Huapi Lake
Country : Argentina
Date of visit (s) : 16/5/03
I live in Bariloche, a well-known tourist destination in Argentina .
We have a very big ski centre ( Catedral ski resort) and...a very big lake called the Nahuel Huapi,
which means tiger island in the native language of "Mapuche". The lake is located in the national park
of the same name, one of the jewels of Argentina. It is a spectacular area of lakes
and rivers carved from ancient glaciers, majestic mountains, inviting valleys, meadows, forests
and wildflowers.
We can sail here all year round and...its very windy tanks to the famous Patagonian wind,
and the best season is our spring and summer,- from September to March.,
Every year from September to December we organize the Patagonian windsurfing and kite championship.
It is spectacular events, and a lot of sailors from all over the country as well as visitors
from Chile and neighbouring countries are taking part. These events are getting bigger every year,
and in mid January we have the main event of the year; The "Bariloche Classic",
probably the biggest windsurfing event in Argentina! The coming 2004 years event will be the sixth
in a row and it does also count as part of the Argentinean Championships.
We expect more than 100 competitors. If anybody needs information about our spot or championships
just contact me. I'll be glad to help!!. This is a great opportunity to visit Argentina
and experience the incredible Patagonia at our beautiful lake.
The city of Bariloche has a very good infrastructure with a hotel capacity for more than 15000 visitors.
Lodging around Lake Nahuel Huapi include a variety from upscale expensive resorts
to more humble camp sites. You can select from hotels, hostels, bungalows, cabins, or camping.
Restaurants offer you a selection of regional cuisine, typical Argentine dishes, German/Swiss cuisine,
continental fare as well as barbeques and fast food.
With today's currency you will get almost three pesos to a dollar,
so its very cheap to come here!
 The easiest way is to fly into Buenos Aires
and connect to a local (two hour) flight to Bariloche. Alternatively, you may also travel by bus.
It is an 18 hours drive across Argentina, but you will pass through some of
the most breathtaking landscapes in the world: snowy mountain peaks above forested hills, clear,
cold water and enough vista opportunities for even the most avid photographer.
About the Author;
Tomas is a man of many seasons. He started windsurfing in 1987, but has been devoted to skiing most of his life and was the first person to introduce snowboarding in Argentina in 1982. As a professional ski instructor, he was named the "Instructor of the year in 1999".
Since then his major sport has been windsurfing. Tomas won the over all "Bariloche Classic" titles in 2000, finishing 2nd in 2001 - 3rd in 2002 and finally 2nd again in 2003. Additionally he has been holding the Pantagonian title since 2001. Due to his high skill level and timeless involvement in promoting the sport and organizing races, he was also appointed the windsurfer of the year in 1999, 2000 and 2001, by the local sport journalists.
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