The Complete Guide to the Mirador Lago Gutiérrez Hike (2024)

Table of Contents

Ease Into Bariloche Hiking With the Mirador Lago Gutiérrez

The hike to Mirador Lago Gutiérrez is the perfect introduction to hiking in Bariloche, Argentina. Mirador directly translates to “Lookout”, and Lago Gutiérrez is one of Bariloche’s many beautiful alpine lakes surrounded by massive mountains, evergreen forests, and beautiful, cozy cabins. It’s not too difficult, it’s easy to get to, and it has beautiful views. While it does make you feel like you’re in a painting, the rest of Bariloche is even more impressive, so if you have limited time, definitely check out the other hikes (we recommend Cerro Campanario)!

Let’s get into the Mirador Lago Gutiérrez hike!

Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you make a purchase.

Mirador Lago Gutiérrez Hike: At a Glance

Time: 1 hour hike round trip if you stop at the waterfall
Distance: 2 km round trip
Difficulty: Easy, but there’s a lot of uphill without much flat terrain
Trekking Registration: Not Required
Water Sources: The waterfall on the way and the stream are clean, fresh water sources

How to Get to the Mirador Lago Gutiérrez Hike

How to Get to the Mirador Lago Gutiérrez Hike by Car

To drive to the Mirador Lago Gutiérrez, put “Camping Lago Gutiérrez” into your GPS. This is the trailhead and there is free parking! The road is gravel but any sedan should be able to make it here. This takes around 30 minutes by car from downtown Bariloche. Rent your car here or with Booking.com if you’re in the Genius loyalty program for cars less than $40/day!

Ubers are also a great option for getting around Bariloche and cost around 40 cents per minute. Taxis are slightly more expensive than Ubers.

How to Get to Mirador Lago Gutiérrez by Bus

You can’t get all the way to the trailhead by bus, but you can take a 30 min bus ride with bus #50 to the intersection of Balcón Gutiérrez and Parque Nacional Perito Moreno that costs ~33 cents. From here, it’s about a 25 minute walk to the trailhead.

Make sure to wave down the bus so it stops, and press the button on the railings near the rear door to alert the driver to stop at the next stop.

To use the buses in Bariloche, you need a SUBE card. To buy and recharge a SUBE card, use this map to find the stores that can help you! Worst case scenario, you can pay someone on the bus to use their SUBE card, but this is not a guaranteed option.

Mirador Lago Gutiérrez Hike

This trail is extremely well marked and it’s hard to get lost. The couple forks at the beginning of the trail all meet back up at the main trail. About 5 minutes into the hike you’ll see a sign for Cascada de Los Duendes, which is definitely worth going to. You’ll have to back track to get back to the main trail afterwards but this only takes a minute.

After returning from the waterfall, there will be another fork in the trail, and you’ll want to follow the the “Mirador Lago Gutiérrez” trail until you get to the top! The trail gets steeper and there will be a lot of roots so watch your step and take breaks as needed! The best thing about the Lago Gutiérrez hike is you have great views no matter what direction you look!

Best Time to do the Mirador Lago Gutiérrez Hike

You can do the Lake Gutiérrez Hike year-round. The lookout isn’t at a super high altitude so it won’t retain the snow like some of the other trails in Bariloche will during the winter. It rains/snows the most between Mid-April and Mid-September so keep that in mind when planning your trip!

Things to do Near Mirador Lago Gutiérrez

From this trailhead, you can also hike to Playa Muñoz or hike to Refugio Frey. These hikes take around 5 and 8 hours round trip, respectively.
You can camp here, whether it’s in a camper van or you’re pitching a tent
Cafe Local Bariloche is a great place for food and coffee after the hike
Cerro Otto is on the way back to Bariloche from Mirador Lago Gutiérrez

Add on Cerro Otto

We combined Cerro Otto with our hike to Mirador Lago Gutiérrez in the interest of time! If you’d like to do the same by bus, you can take the #50 bus from where you got dropped off for the Lago Gutiérrez hike right to the Cerro Otto cable car.

Check out our post on Cerro Otto!

Where to Stay in Bariloche

We recommend staying downtown to be near the main attractions and the public bus stops. However, the Llao Llao Resort is legendary, and a great place to splurge for a day or two!

Bariloche Accommodations

Keep Exploring Bariloche…

Our Favorite Travel Resources

Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.

Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.

Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.

Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.

International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.

eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.

Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!