San Martín de los Andes
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San Martín de los Andes is a city in the south-west of the , serving as the administration centre of the
Lácar Department Lácar is a department located in the south of Neuquén Province, Argentina. Geography The Department limits with Huiliches Department at North, Collón Cura Department at northeast, Rio Negro Province at southeast, Los Lagos Department at so ...
. Lying at the foot of the
Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
, on the
Lácar lake Lácar Lake ( es, Lago Lácar) is a lake of glacial origin in Neuquén Province, Argentina. It is enclosed in the Andes mountain range, at above mean sea level. The area around the lake is mostly uninhabited, except for the city of San Martín de ...
, it is considered one of the main tourism destinations in the province. The
National Route 40 The following highways are numbered 40: International * European route E40 Argentina * National Route 40 (Argentina), National Route 40 Australia * NSW State Route 40 (Windsor Road and Victoria Road in Sydney) * Route 40, Melbourne, Victorian ...
runs to the city, connecting it with important touristic points in the south of the province, such as
Lanín Lanín is an ice-clad, cone-shaped stratovolcano on the border of Argentina and Chile. It forms part of two national parks: Lanín in Argentina and Villarrica in Chile. It is a symbol of the Argentine province of Neuquén, being part of its flag ...
and Nahuel Huapí national parks. The city was founded in 1898 as a military outpost to secure the Argentinian sovereignty over the area. The economy of the then-mountain village was based on wood
logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
and husbandry until the opening of the Lanín National Park in 1937, when tourism became the main industry. Migration from different parts of the world, such as Europe and the Middle East, as well as from neighboring Chile and other Argentine provinces, contributed to the population growth.


History

Before the founding of San Martín de los Andes, the valley of Chapelco was sparsely populated by indigenous Puelches who used it as a refuge during the harsh winters of the zone. The Puelches had, since colonial times, engaged in trade with the
Huilliche The Huilliche , Huiliche or Huilliche-Mapuche are the southern partiality of the Mapuche macroethnic group of Chile. Located in the Zona Sur, they inhabit both Futahuillimapu ("great land of the south") and, as the Cunco subgroup, the north hal ...
s on the eastern slope of the Andes through various mountain passes. Puelches raised horses on the eastern slopes of the Andes and traded them for weapons and alcoholic beverages, becoming one of the main food providers of the isolated
exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
of
Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...
. The Argentine and Chilean military campaigns, the
conquest of the Desert The Conquest of the Desert ( es, Conquista del desierto) was an Argentine military campaign directed mainly by General Julio Argentino Roca in the 1870s with the intention of establishing dominance over the Patagonian Desert, inhabited primari ...
, and the
occupation of Araucanía The Occupation of Araucanía or Pacification of Araucanía (1861–1883) was a series of military campaigns, agreements and penetrations by the Chilean army and settlers into Mapuche territory which led to the incorporation of Araucanía into Ch ...
in the second half of the 19th century brought a definitive end to this trade. German settlers began to arrive in neighboring
southern Chile Southern Chile is an informal geographic term for any place south of the capital city, Santiago, or south of Biobío River, the mouth of which is Concepción, about {{convert, 200, mi, km, sigfig=1, order=flip south of Santiago. Generally cities ...
in the 1840s. Some of these settlers and their descendants began a lucrative leather industry, obtaining leather from indigenous communities across the Andes. In the 1880s the Argentine Army displaced indigenous communities, disrupting this trade and forcing leather merchants in Chile to cross the Andes themselves for supplies. This way numerous entrepreneurs from Chile, many with a German background, established cattle and trade businesses in the area of Lácar and
Nahuel Huapi Nahuel Huapi National Park () is the oldest national park in Argentina, established in 1934. It surrounds Nahuel Huapi Lake in the foothills of the Patagonian Andes. The largest of the national parks in the region, it has an area of , or nearl ...
lakes. In 1898 a military expedition arrived in the area to take control of the zone due to increasing border disputes with Chile. The Boundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina led to disputes over whether the main Andean Mountain Range or the
continental divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...
should serve as the border in this latitude. Chilean authorities argued that since
Lácar Lake Lácar Lake ( es, Lago Lácar) is a lake of glacial origin in Neuquén Province, Argentina. It is enclosed in the Andes mountain range, at above mean sea level. The area around the lake is mostly uninhabited, except for the city of San Martín de ...
drained into the
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
, the area of San Martín should belong to Chile. The Argentine government was also concerned about the zone's dependence on trade with Chile, just like in
Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro Province, Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel ...
and other parts of the southern Andes. San Martín de los Andes was founded on 4 February 1898 by Colonel Celestino Pérez, who followed orders from Chief of Army Rudecino Roca. Following the founding, the main economic activities were wood
logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
and husbandry. A major change in settlement life came when
Lanín National Park Lanín National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Lanín) is a national park of Argentina, located in the Neuquén Province, with forests of diverse tree varieties, mainly Fagaceae and conifers such as the lenga and the '' Araucaria'', many species ...
was created in 1937. This meant that logging was gradually reduced and numerous small settlements along the lake shore disappeared. New roads were built effectively connecting San Martín with the rest of Argentina. This led to increased trade that almost ended local husbandry and agriculture. In the 1970s, with the help of bank credits, many tourism enterprises were established in San Martín, making the town an important tourism center, especially during winter when the ski pistes are open.


Geography


Geology

The city lies in an area of varied geology. Rocks in the area include
metamorphic Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causin ...
,
plutonic Intrusive rock is formed when magma penetrates existing rock, crystallizes, and solidifies underground to form '' intrusions'', such as batholiths, dikes, sills, laccoliths, and volcanic necks.Intrusive RocksIntrusive rocks accessdate: March ...
and
volcanic A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
rocks. Metamorphic rocks found are
schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes o ...
s,
gneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures an ...
es and
migmatite Migmatite is a composite rock found in medium and high-grade metamorphic environments, commonly within Precambrian cratonic blocks. It consists of two or more constituents often layered repetitively: one layer is an older metamorphic rock tha ...
s, all of whom have
sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand an ...
ary
protolith A protolith () is the original, unmetamorphosed rock from which a given metamorphic rock is formed. For example, the protolith of a slate is a shale or mudstone. Metamorphic rocks can be derived from any other kind of non-metamorphic rock and thu ...
s. Deposition of sediments occurred no earlier than in the
Cambrian The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized C with bar, Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million ...
period and metamorphism occurred during the
Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...
period as part of the
Famatinian orogeny The Famatinian orogeny ( es, Orogenia de Famatina) is an orogeny that predates the rise of the Andes and that took place in what is now western South America during the Paleozoic, leading to the formation of the Famatinian orogen also known as ...
. Plutonic rocks around San Martín de los Andes crystallized from
magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...
in the Devonian in connection to the onset of the
Gondwanide orogeny The Gondwanide orogeny was an orogeny active in the Permian that affected parts of Gondwana that are by current geography now located in southern South America, South Africa, Antarctica, Australia and New Guinea. The zone of deformation in Arge ...
. Plutonic rock types in the area are
granodiorite Granodiorite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase feldspar than orthoclase feldspar. The term banatite is sometimes used informally for various rocks ranging from gra ...
s,
tonalite Tonalite is an igneous, plutonic ( intrusive) rock, of felsic composition, with phaneritic (coarse-grained) texture. Feldspar is present as plagioclase (typically oligoclase or andesine) with alkali feldspar making up less than 10% of the total ...
s and less voluminous
gabbro Gabbro () is a phaneritic (coarse-grained), mafic intrusive igneous rock formed from the slow cooling of magnesium-rich and iron-rich magma into a holocrystalline mass deep beneath the Earth's surface. Slow-cooling, coarse-grained gabbro is che ...
s. Plutonic and metamorphic rocks make up the
basement A basement or cellar is one or more floors of a building that are completely or partly below the ground floor. It generally is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, ...
around San Martín de Los Andes, yet near Cerro Chapelco this basement is overlain by
volcaniclastic Volcaniclastics are geologic materials composed of broken fragments (clasts) of volcanic rock. These encompass all clastic volcanic materials, regardless of what process fragmented the rock, how it was subsequently transported, what environment it ...
and
sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
belonging to Huitre Formation. The higher parts of Cerro Chapelco are made up of
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
ic and
andesitic Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomina ...
lavas of Chapelco Formation which overlies Huitre Formation. These lavas erupted and cooled into rock about 4 million years ago in the
Pliocene Epoch The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Csb'') and
oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...
(''Cfb''). Being shielded somewhat by the Andes in Chile, it is much less wet and more sunny than Chilean Patagonia, but still is very susceptible to heavy storms during the winter which tend to produce a mixture of rain and snow when they manage to retain some moisture over the Andean divide. However, when it is not raining or snowing heavily, the weather can be very sunny and fair, though the nights under these conditions are chilly and
frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
has occurred even during the summer.


Demographics

As of the 2010 census there were 35,787 inhabitants in town, making it one of the most populous in the province of Neuquén. San Martín de los Andes has experienced a population growth of 34,29% since the census of 2001, when 23,519 lived in the area. By the time of the 1991 census, the city contained 15,711 residents. Previous censuses showed a total of 10,262 (1980) and 6,465 (1970) inhabitants, respectively. Since its foundation as a military outpost, immigrants from different parts of Europe, including Spaniards, Italians, Germans, Dutch people and French, as well as Syrian-Lebanese store owners and settlers from neighboring Chile integrated with the local population, making it ethnically diverse from its beginnings. Over the years, migrants from other Argentine provinces contributed to the population growth.


Economy and tourism

San Martín de los Andes is considered one of the main tourist destinations in the Neuquén province in both summer and winter. Not far from the town centre, the surrounding environment offers the possibility to practise outdoor activities such as
hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
, mountain
trekking Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back, while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey, and may involve camping outdoors. In North America tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain h ...
and
rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
. Serving as the seat of the administration headquarters of the Lanín National Park, the city is the gateway to several tourist destinations in the southern Neuquén province, including the Lanín and
Nahuel Huapi Nahuel Huapi National Park () is the oldest national park in Argentina, established in 1934. It surrounds Nahuel Huapi Lake in the foothills of the Patagonian Andes. The largest of the national parks in the region, it has an area of , or nearl ...
national parks, and Cerro Chapelco. Tourism became the priority for the region after the opening of the Lanín National Park in 1937, displacing husbandry and wood logging, which did not correspond with it. Though considerably reduced, the wood logging industry remained as a minor activity through the years, creating local jobs. San Martín de los Andes hosts a series of regular events. Every year the National Mountainman Festival and the Trabún Festival are celebrated, both related to the local culture. The
South American Bird Fair The South American Birdwatching Fair is an annual event for birdwatchers, held every year in a different country of the continent. It is described as the birders' principal meeting in South America, with people from all over the world. Lovers of ...
, the main birding meeting on the continent, takes place in the town.


Architecture

San Martín de los Andes was modeled like a mountain village built with traditional materials for the region, such as stone, wood and shingle roofs. Buildings belonging to the early 20th century include the First Post Office (1899), the Old Lácar Hotel (1910), the Primeros Pobladores Museum building (1911), the old-fashioned Chidiak general store (1938) and houses of the pioneer families. The creation of the Lanín National Park and the restriction of use of wood from the protected territory was restricted, bringing a second period of architectural style, where the two-storey houses were introduced. Some of the buildings from this period include the first aid centre (1942), the Lanín National Park administration building (1946) the first school of the village (1948), and the town hall (1960). The city started growing rapidly after establishing itself as a tourist destination in the 1970s. Since then, the architects generally abandoned the traditional mountain village style to erect more city-like structures with modern materials.


Transportation

San Martín de los Andes is served by
National Route 40 The following highways are numbered 40: International * European route E40 Argentina * National Route 40 (Argentina), National Route 40 Australia * NSW State Route 40 (Windsor Road and Victoria Road in Sydney) * Route 40, Melbourne, Victorian ...
, which runs north–south through the city, connecting it with
Junín de los Andes Junín de los Andes is a first category municipality and administrative center of the Huiliches Department in the province of Neuquén, Argentina. It is located in the south of the province, by the Chimehuin River, on National Route 234, about n ...
to the north and
Villa La Angostura Villa La Angostura (Spanish for ''Town of the Narrowing'') is a town located in the Los Lagos Department in the south of the Argentine province of Neuquén, on the northwest shore of the Nahuel Huapi Lake. Nestled in the northern part of the Nahu ...
to the south. The southern stretch between the former is known as the Road of the Seven Lakes, crossing the Lanín and Nahuel Huapi national parks. Provincial Route 19 connects the city with popular tourist destination Cerro Chapelco. Additionally, Provincial Route 62 ends in the city. Situated near the border, there are different options to cross into Chile, including the
Hua Hum Pass Hua Hum Pass ( es, Paso Hua Hum ) is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass takes its name from the Hua Hum River that flows from Argentina into Chile at the site of the border crossing. Even though the p ...
(through Provincial Route 48),
Carirriñe Pass Carirriñe Pass is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass connects Coñaripe and Liquiñe in Chile with Junín de los Andes in Argentina. At the site of the pass some of the southernmost Araucaria araucan ...
and
Mamuil Malal Pass Mamuil Malal Pass (Mapudungun for ''corral of wooden sticks'') is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass connects Pucón and Curarrehue in Chile with Junín de los Andes in Argentina. The road passes j ...
(both via Junín de los Andes to the north) and the
Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass ( es, Paso Cardenal Antonio Samoré) is one of the main mountain passes through the southern Andes along the border between Argentina and Chile. Together with Paso Libertadores, it is one of the easiest of the Argent ...
(via Villa La Angostura to the south). Hua-Hum international pass, which leads to
Panguipulli Panguipulli ( ; Mapudungun for "hill of the puma") is a city and commune in Valdivia Province, southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Panguipulli. It is located on the western edge of Panguipulli Lake, and is on a moraine in the Ch ...
in Chile, lies from San Martín de los Andes. Once the border is crossed into Chile, a ferry across Lake Pirihueico enables travelers to cover the distance from Puerto Pirihueico to Puerto Fuy, as there are no roads in this area. Public transportation includes a bus network. There are lines connecting the city with the nearby attractions and villages. Additionally, taxi agencies operate in the city. The city has a bus terminal with both long- and medium-distance services, connecting it with a large variety of points in Argentina as well as with neighboring Chile. The town is served by the Aviador Carlos Campos Airport, which is away from the centre and is considered the main airport in southern Neuquén province.


Sports

Its natural conditions for outdoor sports and year-round activities make the area attractive for tourists. During summer it is possible to go
mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...
,
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
and horseback riding, among other things. During winter, the nearby Cerro Chapelco is a renowned ski centre in Argentina and South America, where a variety of winter sports like
skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...
and
snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympi ...
are practised. The area has hosted different sports events of national and international level, such as the San Martín de los Andes
marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
s and
Snowboardcross Snowboard cross, also known as boardercross, is a snowboard competition in which four to six competitors race down a course. Snowboard cross courses are typically quite narrow and include cambered turns, various types of jumps, berms, rollers, ...
competitions of the
FIS Snowboard World Cup The FIS Snowboard World Cup is an annual snowboarding competition, arranged by the International Ski Federation (FIS) since 1994. Since its inauguration, different disciplines have been added and removed, along with categories used to group them. ...
. Athletic Curruhinca, an amateur soccer team made up of players from San Martin de los Andes, won the title "Copa Cablevision" in 2013, becoming the first amateur soccer champion in the capital of Buenos Aires originally coming from this city.


Sister cities

*
Rocca di Cambio Rocca di Cambio (locally ''Rocche 'i Cagne'') is a ''comune'' and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Located in the northern part of the Altopiano delle Rocche, the communal territory is included in the Sirente-Velin ...
, Italy *
Steamboat Springs, Colorado The City of Steamboat Springs is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Routt County, Colorado, United States. Steamboat Springs is the principal city of the Steamboat Springs, CO Micropolitan Sta ...
, United States *
Pucón Pucón (Mapudungun: "entrance to the cordillera") is a Chilean city and commune administered by the municipality of Pucón https://www.mipucon.com/ sitio web. It is located in the Province of Cautín, Araucanía Region, 100 km to the south ...
, Chile


References

*
Municipality of San Martín de los Andes
- Official website. * https://web.archive.org/web/20140107093859/http://www.copacablevision.com.ar/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=89


External links

*
Official site of the municipality of San Martín de los Andes

Some information about the San Martin de los Andes in English
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Martin de los Andes Populated places in Neuquén Province Ski areas and resorts in Argentina Populated places established in 1898 Tourism in Argentina 1898 establishments in Argentina Populated lakeshore places in Argentina German-Argentine culture