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Neuquén

Located in the Northwestern end of the Argentine Patagonia, it lies on the impressive Andes Mountain Range. Neuquén borders on Mendoza to the North, on Río Negro to the East and South and on the Andean massif separating it from the Republic of Chile to the West, being the smallest province in the South of the country.

The capital of the province bears the same name and lies 1,140 km away from Buenos Aires, capital of the country.

The most important destinations near the city include:

• Neuquén
• San Martín de los Andes
• Zapala
• Aluminé
• Cutral Co
• Chos Malal

In general, it has a continental weather. The mountain range area is cold and humid, whereas the rest of the province presents cold, dry windy weather with scarce rainfall.

As far as economy is concerned, this area stands out as a result of intensive fruit and vegetable crops. Furthermore, the area of the Neuquén basin is the most important oil and gas region in the country, representing the 40% of the total oil production in Argentina.

In terms of tourism, it has an unbelievable natural beauty, gifted with landscapes contrasting the wild and the arid. Magnificent sceneries made up by lakes surrounded by exuberant vegetation and snow-capped mountains turn this province into a special place for those in search for rest, contact with the natural or the adventurous through various adventure tourism or recreational activities.

The province has national parks, provincial reserves and beautiful natural areas, where fauna and flora species are preserved and protected as heritage of the natural richness of the country.

During the winter season, Neuquén is a unique site to practice ski. It offers various ski resorts attracting visitors and sports lovers, both national and international. Chapelco, Bayo and Caviahue ski resorts provide outstanding snow, several runs, stunning landscapes and first-class services. 

In addition to the snow and winter sports, Neuquén has different options meeting great demands, such as the Wine, Apples and Dinosaurs Route, a circuit combining the fragrances and tastes of the region, with a diverse paleontology experience. This circuit allows guests to enjoy the agro and livestock production on the farms and the relatively new industrial production of local wineries, was well as to visit paleontology sites exhibiting replicas of fossils found in the area.

The route has two main spots; to the North, the districts of Centenario, San Patricio del Chañar, Añelo and Rincón de los Sauces; and to the West, Villa El Chocón and Plaza Huincul.
Besides, the province of Neuquén is an earthly paradise for fly fishing and is one of the most important sites worldwide. During the winter season, this sport can be successfully practiced on different lakes and dams.