Let the Rivalry begin! If you’ve been to both of these places, then you’ve got an opinion on this topic.  If you haven’t, you still should.  Bariloche is the Lake Tahoe of the South.  Or maybe Tahoe is the Bariloche of the North.  Either way they are both gorgeous, but ONE has got to be crowned MORE gorgeous. Which is it, humans? My answer is below, but I’m curious what ya’ll think.

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, CA.  photo:  calxibe.com

What’s The Same?

Big lakes, crystal clear water, endless forests, large snow capped mountains, dangerous year round recreation opportunities, & views that boggle the mind.

Crystal clear water and perfect Sierra Nevada granite in Lake Tahoe.  photo:  bavarianrentals.com

What Are The Differences?

1.  Tahoe is a deep, round lake while Nahuel Haupi in Bariloche is shallow with tons of long glacially carved fingers.

Lake Tahoe granite.  photo:  worldtourobject.com

2.  Tahoe has pine trees and manzanita while Bariloche has thick bamboo and deciduous trees.

Lake Tahoe Red Cedar.  photo:  flickr.com.                                       Lenga Tree, Bariloche.  photo:  flickrhivemind.com

3.  Tahoe has a thin, tall mountain range to its West while Bariloche is surrounded by seemingly endless peaks, ridges, and erupting volcanos.

Lake Nahuel Huapi, endless mountains, and an eruptiong Puyhue volcano.  photo:  miles clark

4.  Tahoe has a low population but is nearby some major population centers while Bariloche is a sizable city (130,000 humans) but there is absolutely NOTHING & NO ONE surrounding it for thousands of miles in any direction.

Lake Nahuel Haupi, Bariloche, satellite image with Puyhue volcano erupting and huge ash islands in lake.

So, which is it?  Tahoe or Bariloche?  And why? For me, it’s tough.  I am ridiculously proud of California and if you’ve ever spend time with me while I was living in another state or country, you’ve heard me annoying & monotonously drone on about how sweet CA is.

Cerro Negro, Bariloche, Argentian.  photo:  Julian Donatelli.

That said, I’ve got to give this one to Bariloche. The lake’s long fingers with ridges in between each finger, the bamboo, the lenga trees, the violently erupting volcanos, the seemingly unending mountain chains, and the overall scenic beauty of Bariloche somewhat easily take the prize…

(If you’ve got any sweet pics of Tahoe or Bariloche, throw a link to ‘em in the comments and we’ll get ‘em up in another post.)

Lake Tahoe, CA.  photo:  pixdaus.com

Lake Tahoe, CA satellite image.

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