Cholila, The Invisible Soul of Patagonia
?? After travelling along the magnificent Seven Lakes Route, enjoying Bariloche, the regional capital, and El Bolsón with its famous market, we set off again on the motorbike towards Los Alerces National Park. This park is famous for its Patagonian cypress forests (alerces), some specimens of which are more than 2,600 years old. We had planned to spend one night in the nearby village, where the gravel road—here called ripio—begins: the village of Cholila. We loved it so much that we ended up staying almost a week, between wonderful encounters, walks in nature, and a landscape of incredible beauty.
?? In the northwest of Chubut Province, the village of Cholila embodies the tranquil soul of Argentine Patagonia. Founded at the end of the 19th century by settlers from Europe and Chile, this small rural town stretches along a fertile valley where life still follows the rhythm of the land and the seasons. Surrounded by raw beauty—meadows, rivers, and snow-capped peaks—Cholila is known as much for its authenticity as for its peaceful atmosphere. It is also a place steeped in history: legend has it that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid found refuge here for a few years while fleeing American justice.
?? Cholila still lives to the rhythm of the horse. Each year, at the end of the southern summer, the village celebrates its most anticipated event: the Fiesta Nacional del Asado y del Caballo, the festival of the horse and the barbecue. For several days, this small community turns into a great rural gathering where tradition, music, and conviviality come together. It’s a special moment for the locals, a way to honour gaucho culture, in which the horse holds a place of honour—a symbol of freedom, work, and an unbreakable bond between humans and nature. In the meadows around the village, nature flourishes freely: a rich flora that calls for photography. The lupins never cease to amaze the traveller’s eye, always seeking beautiful landscapes and spectacular photos. Unfortunately, we later learned that farmers despise these plants, as they are invasive and difficult to eradicate.
?? The Cholila valley is also a land of water. Several winding rivers, fed by the melting Andean glaciers, cross the region before flowing into deep blue lakes. Lake Cholila and Lake Rivadavia, nearby, reflect the changing sky and surrounding mountains. These cold, crystal-clear waters are home to trout and salmon introduced a century ago, making Cholila a paradise for fly-fishing enthusiasts. At dawn, fishermen wade patiently into the current, seeking the perfection of movement and the fleeting meeting with the fish. Here, fishing is not a sport but a philosophy, a silent communion with Patagonian nature—wild and infinitely beautiful.
