Lago Ranco

This lake was amazing, described poorly in the Lonely Planet of 2009 as a dusty frontier town with few shops and food options, we arrived after (and during) heavy rain and loved the place. There were supermarkets everywhere, cafés along the high street and a feeling of change and progress. In fact we spent 4 days circumnavigating its shoreline, staying in the many campsites on the way round and navigating the dirt roads (soon to be tar) that littered the eastern and southern edge. Our favourite place was the campsite at Saltos del Nilahue with its access to the large waterfall and the menagerie of animals for Leo's amusement. Cats, dogs, puppies, chickens and cockerels wandered the campsite, sheep, cows the adjacent fields, and these were joined by the wild birds and butterflies that fluttered through the trees above his head. Further round the lake, the town of Lago Ranco was ideallic although we have to remember never to camp on a Saturday night ever cagain, because the noise was terrible all night.