Patagonia Lakes offers something truly unlike almost any other diving region: freshwater lake and river diving set against an Andean landscape. Sites range from glacial rivers with powerful currents, such as Rio Futaleufu, to eerily still lake floors where drowned forests stand upright, as at El Bosque Sumergido. The three sub-areas, Bariloche, Villa La Angostura, and San Martín de los Andes, each bring distinct character. Natural reefs, kelp forest, and artificial structures feature at Villa La Angostura, while visibility across the region can be exceptional. Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Perch, and Freshwater Crab have all been observed underwater.
3 areas
10Freshwater lake and river diving in the Patagonian lakes district, with strong currents, good visibility, and Trout encounters.
5Cold Patagonian glacial lake diving within Nahuel Huapi National Park, best known for its submerged cypress forests.
2Cold, clear freshwater reef diving on Lake Lácar in the Patagonian Andes, with native trout and visibility up to thirty metres.
10 operators
1 more site to explore
Fin maps 18 sites in Patagonia Lakes (14 scuba diving sites and 4 snorkelling spots), organised into 3 areas.
Across Patagonia Lakes's dive sites, January, February, March, November and December are most often reported as the best months to visit.
The region's observed species are freshwater rather than marine. Trout is the most frequently recorded fish, appearing across a large share of sites, with Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Perch also logged by divers. Freshwater Crab rounds out the confirmed sightings. The cold, clear water makes fish watching surprisingly rewarding on calm dives.
Several sites are graded for beginners, including Lago Falkner, Villa La Angostura, and Isla Lepen, with accessible shore or boat entries and manageable depths. Rio Futaleufu is an important exception: it is listed as a beginner site by depth but carries an extreme current, so it should be treated with caution. Divers new to freshwater or cold conditions are well served by the local operators, including Ardilla Buceo, Buceo Vla, Patagonia Diving, and Estación Submarina.
Bariloche holds the largest concentration of dive sites and offers the broadest range of entry styles. Villa La Angostura is notable for its variety of underwater structures, including natural reef, artificial reef, and kelp forest, as well as the submerged forest at El Bosque Sumergido. San Martín de los Andes has fewer listed sites but contributes to the region's overall diversity of freshwater environments.
Both access types are available across the region. Lago Falkner and Arroyo Angostura offer straightforward shore entries, while sites such as El Bosque Sumergido and Isla Lepen require a boat. Villa La Angostura accepts both entry styles. The local dive operators can advise on logistics and transport for boat-access sites.
