Working Remotely in Bariloche, Argentina (Patagonia)
This is part of my remote work travel series where I review places I visit as a digital nomad.
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I spent an entire month in Patagonia — and I didn’t go on a single hike.
Travesty? Maybe. Mind you, this wasn’t by choice: I ended up catching not one, but two (!) nasty colds and basically had one of the most relaxing months of my digital nomad year here.
So while I can’t give you tons of hiking advice, I can share an honest breakdown of Bariloche beyond the hiking scene.
Where to Stay in Bariloche, Argentina for Digital Nomads
You basically have two options for where to stay in Bariloche: you can stay in downtown, or you can stay off of the major road that curves around Nahuel Huapi Lake.
I don’t really recommend staying in downtown. It’s hard to describe, but there were some bad vibes in downtown. It feels separate from the wholesomeness of the nature surrounding the city, and there are some weirdly overpriced shops (we bought a moka pot for $50, when we would have paid $15 anywhere else for it!). It just isn’t very beautiful, although the alpine town vibe is quaint at first.
Another big issue with Bariloche is that the food quality is pretty meh. I didn’t like any of the restaurants we went to, and there aren’t any good coffeeshops in downtown, with maybe one exception. So, there’s not really a reason to be in downtown, as the grocery stores here have the same level of (not great) produce as the little Todo’s around town.
Instead, stay somewhere next to the lake, and rent a car for the duration of your time here. We stayed off of kilometer 4, and somewhere around here is a good distance from town if you still wanted to be close to it, but km 4 is also a bit more embedded in nature.
There are a lot of cute boutique hotels and I know there are Airbnbs available as well, but overall I wouldn’t say there are an abundance of nomad-friendly places to stay. Getting good quality wifi may be a challenge here: we were traveling with WiFi Tribe so that wasn’t an issue, but if you’re booking an Airbnb I would recommend getting them to screenshot their Internet speeds for you before you book.
What to Do in Bariloche, Argentina for Digital Nomads
Listen, I’m going to level with you: if you don’t like hiking, maybe don’t come here.
While I like to hike (I did do the 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru this year, after all!) I don’t like being cold. And while it is technically the beginning of summer here in Bariloche in December, there is still snow on the mountains — meaning, you’ll need to wrangle yourself a pair of snowshoes for most of the hikes.
If that’s your speed, great. Search for “refugio” hikes: or, hikes to a small cabin/hostel at the top of the mountains where you can book a stay in advance if you don’t want to camp. These refugios are basically huts with some camping-level amenities, and they book up fast (or so I’m told) so you’ll need to plan in advance.
To get around Bariloche without a car, I recommend taking Ubers and getting a Sube card for the buses as sometimes Ubers are not available (they’re new here) and taxis are a pain. A Sube card is important if you're going on hikes, as sometimes you won’t get service in more remote areas near common hikes, but buses will still service these areas (but check the bus schedule to make sure you know when the last bus will be!) Transportation is cheap: 10-minute Uber rides are $1 or $2, and bus rides are $0.50 (crazy!) but rental cars will cost you much more and you have to be careful about break-ins (especially near hiking trails.)
Overall, my favorite activity here was our spa day at the Llao Llao Resort. We took a free archery lesson, walked around the gorgeous property, and I got a much-needed 90-minute hot stone massage. A two-course lunch was included, and the total cost (for the massage, spa access, lunch, and any activities you want to do) was $150, a steal compared to what you’d spend back in the US.
You can also do things like go horseback riding, kayaking, and other activities, but it was so cold here for most of our stay (it was snowing when we got here mid-November!) and because I’ve been fighting off colds I’ve been staying warm inside our cabin.
Bariloche — and Patagonia in general — is for the outdoorsy folks, so if you’re less into that vibe then maybe shorten your stay to a week or just pass through here.
What to Eat in Bariloche, Argentina for Digital Nomads
Argentina is known for its steak. If you don’t eat steak? Tough luck. The vegetables here are notably awful, and I never knew celery could look so white. I didn’t see a single stem of kale during my entire time here.
There are two places I can recommend:
Cafe Con Ideas. This charming cafe has a cute outdoor patio and turns into a pretty good Indian food place on certain nights of the week. The coffee and breakfast is meh, but the Indian food is good. This is the best place to co-work in Bariloche, and the patio is great when the weather is nice.
Manush. Come here for their pizza and maybe their curry bowl. Avoid the salads (they are mostly croutons) and get the pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade to share.
Overall, I was really disappointed with the food quality here. I’m vegan-ish and ended up having to cook most of my meals at home. Groceries were super cheap (maybe $20 per week for two people) but we had to work to find fruit and veggie stands with good produce and even those weren’t amazing.
I’m headed to Buenos Aires in January and I’ve been told the food is better there, but I feel let down after being spoiled by Peruvian food — Cusco’s vegan restaurants live rent-free in my soul!
Last Thoughts on Bariloche, Argentina
Bariloche is… fine.
If you rent a car, are obsessed with hiking, and are out in nature every weekend — you’ll love it.
If you’re more of a city gal who likes day hikes and prefers walkable places? You’ll be disappointed.
To be completely honest, the thing I loved most was being able to spend a month in a cute lil’ cabin with multiple lake views, a balcony and a sunny deck, and a cozy bed — and my share of the rent was just $1,000 for the month.
I spent my time here recovering from being sick, writing my novel and my newsletter, working with some brands on sponsored content, and shuffling through end-of-the-year admin stuff. It’s… exactly what I needed, actually. So while I wasn’t a fan of Bariloche itself, I found the nature to be healing and I loved meeting some really amazing nomads on my trip here.
It’s been a nice bookend to my year: next up? Taking a few weeks off for family time, and then ramping up into the New Year and everything it holds!
My Ratings of Bariloche, Argentina as a Digital Nomad
Affordability: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 — groceries and daily staples were pretty cheap, but for some of the excursions and tours I think the pricing was a little high)
Food Quality: (0/5 — awful produce, very subpar food, no good veggies available anywhere)
Adventures/Day Trips: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (3/5 — lots of day trips, but if you’re not wanting to do multi-day hikes you have less to choose from)
Cafes/Co-Working Space Availability: ⭐️ (1/5 — some good cafes, but not very many options and not very good coffee because they drink mate here)
Digital Nomad-Friendly City: ⭐️ (1/5 — most people don’t speak English, just Spanish, and while the local charm is still intact it’s less nomad-friendly and is missing amenities like good gyms and yoga classes)
Value of Accommodations for Remote Workers: ⭐️⭐️ (2/5 — well priced, depending on the season, but not very walkable and the value is a little low here)
Overall Rating: ⭐️ (1/5 — food quality is really important to me so I wouldn’t go back)
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