In Huiliches Department, the Área Natural Protegida Boca del Chimehuín combines a protected stretch of river with a strong focus on fly fishing. Junín de los Andes complements the nature outing with art, history, and religious heritage. These distinct attractions can help you plan your trip around the experiences you have in mind.
Boca del Chimehuín: River and Protected Area
The Área Natural Protegida Boca del Chimehuín is in Huiliches Department, within the municipal boundaries of Junín de los Andes. It can be reached via Provincial Route 61. The protected area preserves a stretch of the Río Chimehuín, which rises in Lago Huechulafquen. Its aims include preserving water quality and the ecological processes that support great biodiversity. It was established to protect species of the Patagonian steppe and the transition zone to the subantarctic forest.
The Boca del río Chimehuín is considered a preferred area for fly fishing, which is also a major tourism focus there. A seasonal rule applies to salmonids: from December 1 to May 1, all must be released. Check the current fishing regulations before your trip. There is also a designated area for day use alongside the river. This means you can plan a visit to the protected area without making fishing the main focus, without assuming that other facilities are available.
Art and History in Junín de los Andes
Vía Christi brings art, religion, and Indigenous culture together in a themed park. Its 55 works of art are spread across 23 stations and depict the life of Jesus. The strong presence of South American Indigenous cultures, especially the Mapuche, is part of the park’s character. Its motto is “Padre que seamos UNO.” The route from the first to the 23rd station is 1 km long and takes an estimated 1.5 hours. This can help you factor the distance and time needed into your daily plans. Check current information for visiting hours.
The Museo y Archivo Histórico Municipal offers insights into the city’s history. Its photographs, artifacts, documents, and maps cover the history of Junín de los Andes from its first inhabitants to the present-day city. The Museo Arqueológico Municipal has a different focus: its collection includes more than 4,000 items and is divided among an archaeological, a paleontological, and an ethnographic room. The materials on display include evidence of the lives and cultures of Indigenous peoples, as well as marine and dinosaur fossils more than 250 million years old. The two museums thus offer different perspectives: one on the city’s history and the other on archaeological, paleontological, and ethnographic collections.
The renovated Santuario Nuestra Señora de las Nieves y Beata Laura Vicuña is also part of Junín de los Andes’s cultural heritage. It expresses the unity of different cultures in the city and in Argentine Patagonia, and honors Indigenous cultures. The sanctuary is also a place for pilgrims and tourists. The Fiesta del Puestero, meanwhile, was founded in 1987 by local residents to celebrate the creole identity of a region shaped by rural establishments and distinctive natural attractions; Argentina’s Ministry of Tourism declared it a national event.
Explore the Wider Region and Plan Your Accommodation Search
Beyond the places in the department, the wider region offers additional nature-related attractions. At the entrance to Parque Nacional Lanín on Lago Huechulafquen, an information and interpretation center provides information on hiking, horseback riding, observing flora and fauna, sport fishing, and navigating the lake. A circuit from Junín de los Andes also leads to Parque Nacional Lanín, Lago Tromen, and Volcán Lanín, where there are trekking trails. These destinations broaden the range of activities to consider without attributing them to the Boca del Chimehuín protected area.
When searching for a hotel in Huiliches Department, your planned focus can help guide your choice: are fly fishing and the protected area your priority, or would you also like to make time for the cultural attractions in Junín de los Andes? Junín de los Andes can be reached by plane, bus, or car. If you plan to combine nature and culture, factor these ways of getting to the city into your plans and check Vía Christi’s current visiting hours in advance.
Discover more destinations: Junín de los Andes, Lolog, Picunches, Minas Department, Ñorquín Department, Collón Curá Department, Catán Lil, Pehuenches Department.
For the broader travel overview: Neuquén.
