Bariloche sits at 893m on the southern shore of Nahuel Huapi Lake in the Patagonian Andes, founded on 3 May 1902 as the Nahuel Huapi agricultural colony. German, Chilean and Chilote settlers gave it an early Alpine character that architect Alejandro Bustillo formalised in the 1930s, building the Civic Centre and the Llao Llao Hotel in a deliberate Swiss style. Nearby Cerro Catedral is the largest ski resort in South America and the southern hemisphere, its season running June to September, the exact opposite of every ski town in the north. Long known for its chocolate shops, the Queen of Patagonia is Argentina's third most-visited destination after Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata.
Nights sit around 0°C and afternoons around 12°C, though some nights drop below freezing.
Bariloche has real seasons: summer afternoons sit around 22°C, winter ones around 7°C.
Some summer days reach 32°C, and some winter nights drop below freezing.
Most of the rain falls in winter, least in summer. The wettest month is June, with 168 mm.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. The air stays clean through the year.
Days stretch to about 15.0 hours of light in December and shrink to 9.1 in June — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
No month in Bariloche matches what you're after, so come for the place rather than the weather. Expect fast internet (136 Mbps) and a high cost of living (about €1650 a month).
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