Set in the bowl of a wide, fertile valley, hemmed in by parallel ranges of mountains, straggly
EL BOLSÓN was Latin America's first non-nuclear town, and a place famous in the 1970s as a hippy hangout. This legacy continues, although diluted by a more commercial ethos, and the town is a laid-back, welcoming place worth a day or two's stay. In summer, it's a popular place for young Argentinian backpackers, since it's far easier on budget travellers' wallets than nearby Bariloche. The municipality's strong environmental convictions mean that, in high season, tourists are given native tree seedlings to plant upon arrival, and fish fry to pop into the valley's Río Quemquemtreu or Río Azul. Spiritual life here is cosmopolitan, and you'll find Chinese Buddhist temples and a variety of practitioners of alternative paths. Unsurprisingly, UFOs and spirits (
duendes ) are also claimed to stop off regularly, being guaranteed an especially sympathetic reception on the last Saturday of February, when the town's main party, the
Hops Festival (
Fiesta del Lúpulo ) is held. It celebrates the harvest of an important local crop, with music in the main square and an enjoyable, well-lubricated atmosphere. The
Farm Olympics (
Olimpiades Agrarias ) is another off-beat festival worth checking out, held over four days in mid-February, with ox-races and other oddities.
To the east of town, on the wooded slopes of Cerro Piltriquitrón (2260m), is another unconventional and interesting site: the Bosque Tallado or Sculpted Forest. The sculptures, mostly crafted by local artists, are all left exposed to the elements.
