The town, known by the fruit farms, now shaken with bike tours, abseiling and kayaking outings.

The huge turquoise lake mirror Buenos Aires and especially fertile ground in this corner of Santa Cruz burst into the arid Patagonian landscape monotonous with green curtains of poplars that define the fields that produce and export fine fruit. It is the southernmost place in Argentina where you can find late harvest of cherries. It is also an ideal place to combine relaxation and adventure.

Photography by birasuegi

This is Los Antiguos, a town in northern Santa Cruz on the shores of Lake Buenos Aires and only 3 kilometers from the border with Chile. There can be reached by the national route 40 that runs through the provinces mountain range or the coastal national highway 3 to Caleta Olivia, and travel the 359 miles down the RP 43 to lead the region. With just over five thousand inhabitants, Ancient developed its economy around fine fruit exported from the farms and the emerging tourism industry.

In 1991, Hudson volcanic ash triggered the departure of entire families who have lost livestock and crops full. But over time the place was recovered. The ash was mixed with soil and some believe that to improve. Today there are only traces in the memory of some residents.

Photography by felipecancino

In recent days, the rural tourism circuit installed and joined the adventure. As the summer is possible to combine cycling circuit between the fields of fine fruit, kayaking in the clear Buenos Aires or take a tour of Route 41, a fine mountain road that passes over the boundary between the Argentina and Chile.

According to official data, the Ancient has 576 places of accommodation from 3 star lodges, cabins 3 and 2 star hotels and hostels, and some squares in the pipeline, plus restaurants and fast food places. Even one of the inn offers spa services.

The name refers to the Ancient ancestral cultural roots and climate benefits of the site. It is a translation of the word tehuelche I keu keu kenko or I konk, which would mean my ancestors or old. There is an oral tradition that the current name refers to the fact that the place was chosen by the Tehuelches to spend the last years of their lives.

Fruit of the country

On foot, by car or bicycle can be visited fifteen farms that have gradually been turning to agritourism. Its owners tell tourists the care process cherry, flowering and harvesting. The tour usually includes a tasting of sweet fruit and homemade regional liquors. At the end is almost impossible not to buy any of these products.

Photography by macha.cl

«We believe it will be a very good season, we had very good weekend with regional tourism and foreign tourists have started coming since November,» detailed, optimistic, Marina Basalo, Secretary of Tourism of Los Antiguos.

The average stay is two nights. To extend the number from last summer will offer adventure tourism activities in the hotel Antigua Patagonia, at the entrance to the city on Lake Buenos Aires. But programs are not only available for those staying there, but open to all tourists of the town. «We rented kayaks from the dock of the lodge. Every tourist comes accompanied by an instructor and includes the wetsuit because the water of the lake is usually very cold even in summer», says Marcelo Torres, former manager of Patagonia.

A shift kayak the crystal clear water, which in places is over 400 meters deep, can cost no more than $ 60 per person. There too, overlooking the lake, if fun-loving forces and you can try to climb into the arena of 4 meters with the help of instructors to rappel down, and often improvised zip to more fun times.

As for this year joined cycle tourism circuits to suit different tastes and levels of resistance. Cycles through the chakras, the balconies, views of the lake and two rivers running through the town with ditches that add crystalline sound nap.

Good luck there!