Summer in Lago Posadas

Lago Posadas is the kind of place that makes you question whether you've stumbled onto another planet. Located in a remote valley in Santa Cruz province, this area features twin lakes — Lago Posadas and neighboring Lago Pueyrredón — connected by a narrow channel, their waters shifting from deep blue to emerald green depending on the light. The surrounding landscape is a surreal palette of rust-colored hills, volcanic formations, fossilized forests, and distant glaciated peaks of the Southern Andes.

The tiny settlement of Hipólito Yrigoyen (commonly called Lago Posadas) has fewer than 200 permanent residents, making this one of the most remote inhabited places in Patagonia. Summer, from December through February, is the only practical time for most travelers to visit. Temperatures reach 18-22°C, the access roads are at their driest, and the extended daylight reveals the landscape's extraordinary color variations from dawn to dusk.

What draws visitors here is the raw, untouched beauty and the sense of genuine discovery. The Cerro de los Indios features pre-Columbian cave paintings in a dramatic rock formation. The surrounding hills contain marine fossils dating back millions of years. The lakes themselves offer excellent trout fishing in complete solitude. Hiking through the colorful badlands reveals ever-changing geological formations that rival any painted desert.

Reaching Lago Posadas requires commitment — it's a 90km detour off Ruta 40 on a gravel road. But for those willing to make the journey, particularly by rental car, the reward is an experience of Patagonia at its most pristine and undiscovered.