I am not sure where all these five star reviews are coming from. This trip was not what we were led to believe. Let me start with something no one is mentioning (I suspect because most of these reviews are from “Local Guides”) - the majority of the special trees in the Arrayanes Forest looks dead (see photos). The trees were apparently shocked by a heatwave ten years ago and have not yet recovered, meaning their trunks are gray, not the orange you see in most the promotional photos. This was a massive disappointment, particularly having seen extensive crepe myrtle and madrone forests in the US. The boardwalk tour is fine but lasts about 20 minutes with not much in the form of information along the way. Everyone we encountered at the end of the boardwalk had a “Really? That’s it?” look on their face. We opted for the bike ride out. It is not a leisurely affair as some have mentioned. If you are an experienced mountain biker, this would be great for you. Not for the novice. The first 2 kilometers are very steep up, then down, so you are pushing your bike most of the time (or even carrying it). This repeats several more times until you get to the famed forest, though there are long stretches of a gentle downhill. The return would be a continuous gradual climb back to the steep parts, which would have been really tough for that distance. The trail is well maintained and the flora is nice enough but it would be hard to say this is a better choice than the other hikes in the area. There is only one bay overlook that I recall. The rest is deep forest. We took the boat back (8000 pesos) along the Patagonia east side (instead of the bay) and that was actually quite stunning and the boat guide gave a nice talk. I grew up in the National Park system in the US and I don’t like to besmirch anywhere people are trying to care for nature, but it seems, given the prices being charged by those enabling folks to visit this location, this is a conundrum - the parque needs the money to survive, locals need money to survive, but I guess I am just telling folks to not always believe what you read in reviews.

Entry price for foreigners is 2300 pesos. Make sure it is sunny to take full advantage. You can enjoy the lake if you don't want to spend the amount. There are other nice beautiful places you can enjoy that are free (200 pesos transportation for each). Check my reviews for Villa de Agusturo.

Excellent walk. Magical scenery. The arrayanes bosque is a solid 11 km walk from the entrance so be ready for that. We walked there and were able to buy boat passage back to town once we were at the end; it wasn't necessary to arrange boat passage in advance (though maybe worth doing if you can to avoid the risk if you know that's your plan)

Really beautiful park. I recommend taking the catamaran one way and then walking back. That takes about 3 hours (not walking slowly) including the side trips to the laguna and the two miradors. At the end you can have a great refreshing swim in one of the beaches near the pier.

We spent 6 hrs walking the 22km walk to the jetty and back. We hardly saw anyone on the first 11km which was great. Once the boats arrived there were quite a few more, but still pleasant. The previous comments about the trees are unfounded. The contrast between the grey and green is striking and the dead trees are all over Chile and Argentina. What are they the supposed to do, clear the parks and chop down trees so you get a view?... This was the only park in the whole of Chile and Argentina we've had to pay for, so we thought a day's hiking for 6500 pesos was great value.

Amazing place to visit if you are around Villa La Angostura. They offer several options for you to go into the park. We decided to do the free short walk of 3.2 km round trip. Be aware that for foreigners the payment for visiting the whole park (22 km round trip) is around 10 dollars. Some other tips, riding a bike is a popular option but take into consideration that the first 3 km might require you to carry your bike due to the path inclination.

Excellent trail and easy. Its 12 km with nice nature and in the end can visit bambi's house

“What A Trip And What A Long Walk That We Did! Wow! Amazing!” Back on Monday, May 15, 2017, I decided to walk about 12 kilometers (approximately 6 miles) to visit the Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes out in Neuquen, Argentina just outside of Villa La Angostura. I was very lucky to also meet Facundo Ragonese and Elizabeth Algarin who were a Very Big Help to ME since I hate walking, hiking or trekking alone. They were so much fun to be with and they made the four (4) hours of walking time More Enjoyable and Inspiring. We saw lots of trees, birds, mushrooms, flowers and even a Lake during our very long walk. At the very end of the walk we took a small motor boat back to the Puerto. If You like to walk or hike or trek, then please come and visit this park and Yes, there is a fee to enter the park which I believe is 250 pesos ($16.00 U.S. dollars). Thank you. Sincerely yours, Howard Paul Shore Visitor Executive, Volunteer Writer For Google And Tripadvisor Websites /HPS PS: I also briefly visited the exact same place, but just at the very beginning back on Sunday, May 14, 2017 as well!

Rent a bike in Villa la Angostura and go for a 12 km ride in the park. Full of ups and downs and beautiful. Bring a packed lunch. By bike it should take you 4 hours or so.

I did it end of May on a sunny day it was perfect, the nature is really diverse and if you are lucky you will see some amazing birds like the Carpintero Negro Gigante who usually are afraid of the tourists. So it's worth going there off-season even if the price is a bit high (300 ARS)

Incredible!

Beautiful place. Incredible landscapes. One never gets tired of coming back.

Great place with some amazing views!! Variety of trees and plants. Beautiful cabin with a cafe inside.

Beautiful! Super recommended

I would suggest to go there walking and come back by boat. In that way you see the natural park and you sail in the lake. Really great experience

Beautiful

I was surprised of how many of the Arrayanes had lost their color compared to my last visit in 2007. Then we learned that it was because of a draught. Still an spectacular experience! We took the catamaran ( with Patagonia) and did the 11K hike back to villa La Angostura. We were quite tired the next day but completely doable even for beginners

Really liked the views and the hike. The trees were not as pretty as in the pictures, partly due to the fact that a mushroom killed a large quantity of them a couple years back. Still, it was a nice walk. There is a place to buy food in the arrayanes circuit where the boat drops you off or picks you up. They had pastries, empeñadas and sandwiches if I remember correctly.

Loved it so amazing perfect in every way. Great manicured trail. Awesome dog that was our guide. White looking German Shepard if you see him tell him hi. Not actually a stuff friendly place though

Beautiful park and trail for walking, running, and biking.

It is ridiculous that the parks charges you 5500 peso, but there is none maintainance of the road trail. Over the 12km trail, you don't even have one single place to rest, and the road conditions are horrible. Apart from forest boradwalk near the lake, the rest 11km has NOTHING to see, I don't mean not much to see, but NOTHING, you keep walking in the middle of forest with no views or lookout. During the date when we visit, the guy in the information center, I guess is the ranger, he just sit there and playing his cellphone, reluctant to serve you and tells you anything about the trail. I get it. The 5500 peso is paying for the electricity, letting him to play.

A beautiful Park with unique trees. Paths are very well marked, and there are a few hills to get your heart rate up! There are two boat services, one route takes 45 mins, the other 60 mins. Each approaches the peninsular from opposite sides, so it is worth checking the wind direction to see which will be smoother, if that bothers you. Make sure you sit up top to fully enjoy the views, breathtaking.