Villa La Angostura (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for ''Town of the Narrowing'') is a town located in the

Los Lagos Department Los Lagos is a department located in the south of Neuquén Province, Argentina. Geography The Department limits with Lácar Department at north, Rio Negro Province at the east and southeast, with Chile Chile, officially the Republic of ...

in the south of the

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Neuquén Neuquén (; arn, Nehuenken) is the capital city of the Argentine province of Neuquén and of the Confluencia Department, located in the east of the province. It occupies a strip of land west of the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén river ...

, on the northwest shore of the

Nahuel Huapi Lake Nahuel Huapi Lake ( es, Lago Nahuel Huapí) is a lake in the lake region of northern Patagonia between the provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén, in Argentina. The tourist center of Bariloche is on the southern shore of the lake. The June 2 ...

. Nestled in the northern part of the

Nahuel Huapi National Park 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 nearly ...

, and surrounded by lakes, forests and mountains, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful locations in the mountainous parts of

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

; earning it the nickname ''Garden of Patagonia'' (Spanish: ''Jardín de la Patagonia''). Just located a couple of kilometers away from the border with

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

through the Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass and with other nearby places such as

Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park. ...

and

San Martín de los Andes San Martín de los Andes is a city in the south-west of the , serving as the administration centre of the Lácar Department. Lying at the foot of the Andes, on the Lácar lake, it is considered one of the main tourism destinations in the province. ...

, it forms a popular tourist corridor during both summer and winter.

Geography and climate

The town is located halfway between the cities of

and

, inside the

, very close to the isthmus of the Quetrihue Peninsula, where the

Los Arrayanes National Park Los Arrayanes National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes) is a national park of Argentina with an area of . It covers the Quetrihué Peninsula on the shore of the Nahuel Huapi Lake in the province of Neuquén, from Villa la Angostura. Eve ...

and its arrayanes ''(Luma apiculata)'' forest is located. The town is located nearby Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass that links it with Osorno in

. The elevation of the city centre is about , and the lake is at . Surrounding mountains range from to about (Cerro Bayo, right behind the city, is high). The area's climate is with marked alpine characteristics despite relatively low altitudes. Summers are known for being sunny and pleasant, with high temperatures usually between 18 °C (65 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F), but with cold nights between 2 °C (35 °F) and 9 °C (48 °F). Temperatures will reach 30 °C (86 °F) only a couple of times every year, and night frost happens occasionally during the summer as well. There are often long stretches of sunny, windy weather; however, when the weather gets locked in a stormy pattern, it can remain so for several days or weeks: temperatures will stay cold (10 °C to 18 °C, or 50 °F to 65 °F) and summer sleet is not unprecedented. Rainfall in the summer averages to per month, with a very high variability from one year to another. March brings more frequent frost, but also nice stretches of sunny weather. The average high temperature is 19 °C, the low is 4 °C, occasionally 30 °C can be reached, and temperatures may fall to -5 °C. The most radical change occurs sometime during the month of April, when Villa La Angostura first gets in the path of a "train of Pacific storms": in the end, total precipitation for the month averages . The average high is 14 °C (57 °F), the low is 2 °C or 35 °F(the nighttime change is small due to increased cloudiness)and by late April any cloudless night will be frosty. May is known for being extremely rainy, with an average amount of (including sleet and snow). It is also often the month of the first significant snowfall. High temperatures are usually around 9 °C or 48 °F, lows average 1 °C or 33 °F, sometimes temperatures can reach -10 °C or 14 °F. June, July and August are the core of the winter in Villa La Angostura, when the average high ranges from 5 °C to 8 °C (40 °F to 46 °F) and lows from 0 °C to -2 °C (32 °F to 28 °F). Storms are very frequent and usually bring a mixture of rain, snow and sleet; overall precipitation averages to monthly for the period, falling mostly as snow in the mountains around the city. Snowstorms can sometimes be heavy (over 20 cm or 8 inches), and extreme cold waves might bring temperatures down to -18 °C (0 °F) or lower; however, long stretches of intense frost are rare as Pacific storms always strike the area with milder, moist air. In September, the storminess diminishes slightly ( in total), and high temperatures reach an average of 11 °C, although low temperatures only increase to -1 °C. By the end of the month, there might be stretches of pleasant weather and comfortable temperatures, but the month also marks the beginning of the windiest part of the year. October is extremely variable, going back and forth between periods of extremely windy, but sunny weather, and freak cold snaps that bring night temperatures below -5 °C (23 °F) and mixtures of sleet and snow. Average highs are 14 °C (57 °F), lows are 1 °C (33 °F), and precipitation reaches . November brings springlike weather, much lower precipitation () but strong winds and wild variations in temperature. Averages are 17 °C in the afternoon and 3 °C at night, but it is not unusual to have a day of rain and sleet with a high below 5 °C (40 °F), or a day with sunny weather and a high of 25 °C (77 °F). Finally, December is a transition between spring and summer: winds are still very strong and freak variations occur, but the average high of 20 °C (68 °F) and the low of 5 °C (40 °F) are more typical of summer weather. Storminess might be a bit higher as in November, with an average of of rain. On the whole, Villa La Angostura's climate is noted for being among the rainiest in Argentina (with of rain over almost 300 days a year), for having no frost-free periods whatsoever, and for its clear, dry and extremely pleasant summer days. Areas west of the city are much rainier, with over over Brazo Rincon. Nearby La Angostura is the Cerro Bayo and its ski centre. The resort's base, at only higher than the city, usually only sees sufficient snow cover for a few weeks in midwinter, following large storms. However, slopes above the altitude of offer reliable snow cover, and most of the skiing takes place between and , where pockets of snow might be found till midsummer. The view from the top is impressive, especially toward the west, across Nahuel Huapi lake, with the majestic, heavily glaciated Cerro Tronador (), clearly visible.

Tourism

La Angostura is considered among the main attractions of Argentina's

Andean 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 l ...

not only because of the wooden town itself, but also because of the beauty of its sights. On its west side is the Nahuel Huapi Lake, and to the east, the Correntoso Lake. Both lakes are connected by the

Correntoso River The Correntoso River is a river located in Villa La Angostura, Argentina. This river runs from Correntoso Lake to Nahuel Huapi Lake, standing out as one of the shortest rivers in the world, with between 200 and 300 m in length (depending on the he ...

, which, with 200 meters of length, is one of the sport fishing destinations around La Angostura. The architecture of the town follows a stylized

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

wooden style similar to that of

's city centre. There are shops and restaurants of artisanal products such as chocolate,

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

and

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...

. It is categorised as a ''mountain village'', even though it has approximately 11,000 inhabitants.

2011 volcanic ash

In June 2011, Villa La Angostura was declared a disaster area due to the massive layer of

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

dumped on the community by the eruption to the west in Chile.

References

External links

History, pictures and maps
(Spanish)
Tourist information site
{{Authority control Populated places in Neuquén Province Ski areas and resorts in Argentina Populated places established in 1932 Tourism in Argentina Populated lakeshore places in Argentina Nahuel Huapi National Park Cities in Argentina Argentina Neuquén Province