Nahuel Huapi has the most developed network of mountain huts in South America, many of them run by the Club Andino Bariloche. They make it possible to walk into high granite cirques and glacial lakes with a light pack, sleep in a bunk and eat a hot meal cooked at 1,700 m.
The two most popular are Refugio Frey, beneath the climbing spires of the Catedral massif, and Refugio San Martín, better known as Jakob, above its intensely blue lake. Both work as long day hikes or overnights, and fit hikers can link them over the passes in a classic multi-day traverse.
Top things to do at Refugios Frey & Jakob
Refugio Frey
From Villa Catedral the trail contours above Lago Gutiérrez, then climbs the Van Titter valley to the stone hut beside Laguna Toncek, ringed by granite needles. Roughly 3–4 hours up; many walkers go up and down in a long day.
Refugio San Martín (Jakob)
The trail starts near Colonia Suiza, follows the long Casa de Piedra valley and then climbs steeply to the hut on the shore of Laguna Jakob. It is a long approach — better as an overnight.
The traverse
Experienced hikers link Frey, Jakob, Laguna Negra (Refugio Italia) and López over rugged passes in 3–5 days. Some sections involve scrambling and route-finding; go with a guide if unsure.
Refugio López and Laguna Negra
Shorter alternatives: Refugio López has a steep climb with huge lake views from the Circuito Chico; Refugio Italia sits beside dark Laguna Negra.
How to get to Refugios Frey & Jakob
- Frey: bus 55 to Villa Catedral, then walk from the base area.
- Jakob: bus 10/11 towards Colonia Suiza, or a taxi to the trailhead at the Casa de Piedra valley.
- Registration: register your hike with the national park (online or at the park office) before setting out.
Insider tips
- Hiking season is roughly December to April; outside it snow can make the trails dangerous.
- Reserve a bunk ahead in January and February and carry cash — card payment at huts is not guaranteed.
- Bring a warm sleeping bag if you stay: huts supply bunks, and nights are cold even in summer.
- Carry out all rubbish and use the huts’ toilets; the high lakes are fragile.
Best tours & tickets for Refugios Frey & Jakob
These experiences are the easiest way to see Refugios Frey & Jakob and the landscapes around it:
Horseback ride Bariloche: Guided Horseback Riding in Lago Gutiérrez with Lunch
A gentle guided ride from a ranch near Lago Gutiérrez, inside Nahuel Huapi National Park, through old cypress and coihue forest and open pasture to a lookout — followed by lunch. Suitable for riders with little or no experience.
- About two hours in the saddle inside the national park
- Cypress and coihue forest, creeks and a viewpoint
- Lunch after the ride
Rafting Bariloche: Rafting in Manso River up to the Border with Chile
The best adrenaline day around Bariloche. After a drive south on Route 40 and a gravel road through the Manso valley, you gear up and run the lower Manso — a clear, cold glacial river with a string of named rapids — down towards the Chilean border, finishing with lunch in the valley.
- White water on the lower Río Manso
- Wetsuits, breakfast and lunch included
- Paddle to within sight of the Chilean frontier
