Last updated July 22, 2026

Hotel Llao Llao's alpine-style building on a hilltop between Lago Nahuel Huapi and the Andes, seen from across the valley

davidw / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Bariloche

Where to Stay in Circuito Chico, Bariloche

Circuito Chico is the scenic lakeside drive that runs west of downtown Bariloche along Avenida Exequiel Bustillo, threading between Lago Nahuel Huapi and Lago Moreno through native forest, past viewpoints like Cerro Campanario and Punto Panorámico, and ending at the Llao Llao peninsula within Nahuel Huapi National Park. The peninsula is home to Bariloche's most famous hotel — Hotel Llao Llao, designed by architect Alejandro Bustillo — and a handful of other upscale and luxury resorts, most with lake or mountain views, close to Puerto Pañuelo, where boats depart for Isla Victoria and the Bosque de Arrayanes.

What it's actually like to stay here

Quiet, scenic, and resort-like — forest, lake, and mountain views dominate, with little street life beyond individual hotel grounds and the handful of stops along Avenida Bustillo.

Stay here if

Best for couples and travelers seeking a scenic, resort-style stay with lake and mountain views, golf, and quiet surroundings, and for families who want resort amenities and outdoor activities away from downtown's bustle.

Stay elsewhere if

Consider Centro Cívico instead if you want to walk to restaurants and nightlife without a car — this area isn't walkable to downtown and has little to no nightlife of its own.

Walkability
Not walkable to downtown Bariloche, roughly 25 km away by road. Within the area itself, walking is limited to individual hotel grounds and short forest trails nearby.
Noise at night
Very quiet — mostly forest, lake, and hotel grounds, with little traffic noise beyond Avenida Bustillo itself.

Best Hotels in Circuito Chico, Bariloche

Llao Llao Resort, Golf-Spa

★★★★★
  • ✨ Best luxury
  • 🏛️ Best for architecture & design

Our take The benchmark luxury stay in Bariloche — a real architectural landmark in its own right, not just a well-reviewed hotel, with grounds and views that are hard to match anywhere in the area.

Good for

  • Luxury travelers
  • Couples
  • Families

Couples and families looking for a genuine luxury resort stay, with golf, spa, and some of the most photographed lake-and-mountain views in Patagonia.

Why we like it

  • A genuine architectural landmark designed by Alejandro Bustillo, rebuilt in stone after its original 1938 building burned down the following year
  • Sits on its own hilltop between two lakes, with panoramic views most other Bariloche hotels can't match
  • An 18-hole golf course, private marina and beach, and full spa and health club on the grounds
  • Within Nahuel Huapi National Park, right at the end of the Circuito Chico scenic drive

What to know

  • Roughly 25 km from downtown Bariloche by road — a car, taxi, or organized transfer is effectively required
  • Priced well above the rest of the city's hotels, reflecting its resort grounds and golf course rather than just the room itself
Check availability on Booking.com

Hotel Amancay

★★★
  • 💰 Best value

Our take The relatively affordable way to base yourself out on the Llao Llao peninsula — the views and setting compete with hotels charging considerably more.

Good for

  • Families
  • Couples

Families and couples who want the Llao Llao area's lake views and quiet setting without paying full luxury-resort rates.

Why we like it

  • Directly on Nahuel Huapi Lake's shore, in the same scenic stretch of Avenida Bustillo as the area's luxury resorts
  • A large garden and grounds, with a seasonal outdoor pool and lake and mountain views from many rooms
  • Noticeably lower rates than its immediate neighbors, for a broadly similar lakefront setting

What to know

  • The rooms and facilities are dated compared with the newer luxury properties nearby — a fair trade-off for the lower price
  • Roughly 25 km from downtown Bariloche, so a car, taxi, or bus line 20 is needed for anything beyond the hotel itself
Check availability on Booking.com

Transportation & practical information

Bus line 20 runs from Bariloche's downtown terminal along Avenida Bustillo to Puerto Pañuelo roughly every 20 minutes, stopping near Cerro Campanario and covering much of the route, though not the full Circuito Chico loop. A rental car, taxi, or organized tour covers the loop's full roughly 24.5 km circuit most conveniently.

A car (or an organized half-day tour) makes the most of Circuito Chico's scenic loop and its viewpoints. Without one, bus line 20 reaches Puerto Pañuelo and Cerro Campanario roughly every 20 minutes, but doesn't cover the full circuit.

Frequently asked questions

Can I visit Circuito Chico and Llao Llao without a car?
Partly — bus line 20 runs from downtown Bariloche along Avenida Bustillo to Puerto Pañuelo roughly every 20 minutes, passing Cerro Campanario, but it doesn't cover the full 24.5 km loop. A car, taxi, or organized tour is the most convenient way to see the whole circuit.
How far is Llao Llao from downtown Bariloche?
Roughly 25 km by road, about 30–40 minutes by car depending on traffic and stops — it isn't within walking distance of downtown.

Related areas

The stone archways of Bariloche's Centro Cívico complex, with crowds of visitors passing through on a sunny day

Francisco Esteban Leuman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Centro Cívico

Best for: First-time visitors, Budget travelers, Couples

← All Bariloche neighborhoods