Despite the impression sometimes given by their press releases, hoteliers are not gods. Nonetheless, they've managed to drop some very nice accommodation on this narrow (in Patagonian terms) strip of lake- and volcano-studded landscape on the eastern lee of the Andean cordillera. There are luxury (trad and modern) hotels, dude ranches, fishing lodges, cosy B&Bs and happy-hippy campsites. Most of them blend in, rather than clash with, God's accidental but extremely proficient handiwork.

We're going to organize this article by town; but as with Bariloche you should note that most of the best lodgings are in the boondocks rather than on Main Street.

San Martìn de los Andes

Smaller than Bariloche but even more Alpine in appearance and vibe (fondue for breakfast? why not?), SM is a little gem inside a whopping diamond -- Lanín National Park, with its 35 lakes, ancient araucaria forests and extinct (hopefully) volcanoes. San Martín has lots of good restaurants, so you can hit the trough after coming off the trek. August's Fiesta Nacional de Montañes has one of the best log-chopping contests around and draws Paul Bunyan types from literally kilometres away. (You ain't seen and heard nothing till you've seen and heard one of these dudes aim for a trunk and take out an artery.)

The two best hotels in town are Rincon de los Andes and the Patagonia Plaza. They're well-run, welcoming and have good amenities; but for charm and style you need to look beyond the city limits.

One good option meeting that criteria is Cerro Abanico, built into the mountain overlooking the town. It has eight colourful rooms, all of which have pant-wetting lake views. It also has a tea house, restaurant and library, so you may decide to blow off the trek and just sit on the terrace with a good book and a cuppa.

Four kilometres up the Ruta Nacional 234 is the Paihuen complex, the best known lodging in the area. Here you can bunk down in any one of 33 stone cabins, each of which (natch) overlook the lake. Amenities include a sauna, a swimming pool, tennis courts and even an in-house tourist agency. The restaurant is one of the best in Patagonia, specialising in locally murdered game and the kind of trout that eyeballs you from the plate.

But our favourite hotel in SM is Ten Rivers & Ten Lakes, run by the same group who look after Cerro Abanico. It only has four rooms so you'll need to book about a decade in advance in high season. You'll be glad you did. This hotel is the acme of rustic romantic chic - oversize beds, bathtubs for two, tasty food... do we need to say more? Oh yeah, great lake views.

Villa La Angostura

Like Bariloche, Villa La Angostura is within the boundaries of Nahuel Huapi National Park. Unlike it's larger, brasher brother, it's a purpose-built tourist destination and looks like it could be a film set for the remake of The Sound of Music. It's a peaceful, exclusive hideout, a bolthole for weary, wealthy urbanites. You can't stay stressed for long around here. It's like being in a gigantic open-air spa with invisible walls. And, yes, there's a very nice lake.

[Photo: Noe_Cherokee]

Just about everyone agrees that Las Balsas is the best hotel around here, and just about everyone is right. It's right on the lake edge and has its own private jetty - incredibly handy if you've packed your own private boat. Otherwise hop in one of the hotel's kayaks and paddle your blues away. The restaurant draws guests from most of the other hotels in the area.

El Faro (the Lighthouse, which is what is used to be) is a lot cheaper than Las Balsas but makes up for in charm what it, er, lacks in overpricing. We'll let the place speak for itself: "The magic resides in discovering it is no longer a dream, that it is a tableau of special moments which will stimulate the mind and bring pleasure to the senses." Ok, so that was a bad idea. We'll speak for it: this is a very special hotel, with superb amenities, and private decks and patios you'll want to camp out on for days. There are no views of the lake. (Just kidding, of course.)

Finally, a few words about La Escondida, which means 'hidden place'. Amusingly, the Escondida advertises itself in numerous glossy high-circulation travel mags as 'the best kept secret in Patagonia.' Through simple deduction, we suspect the owners aren't the kind of people you want to invite to your best friend's surprise birthday party. They run a great hotel, though, with very stylish (no ersatz rusticity here) rooms, local cuisine and an unstuffy atmosphere. Just don't tell anyone about it.

Junín de los Andes

The oldest town in the Lake District, tiny Junín also holds the dubious honour of being Argentina's 'fishing capital'. If the image of a grizzled, taciturn type who keeps maggots in his lunchbox has just floated in front of your mind's eye, fugeddaboutit. We're talking about fly fishermen, the aristocrats of the angling world, real classy types like Kevin Bacon, Sly Stallone and Ted Turner, the kind of people forced to commune with nature because no one else will commune with them.

If you want to hang out with this crowd, stay at Tipiliuke, one of the best fishing and hunting ranches in the world. Each day you can venture out to kill anything that flies, walks or swims (check in advance that Dick Cheney isn't booked in) before retiring to the comforts of this most opulent of all estancias.

More to our taste is Estancia Huechahue, run by the indomitable Jane Williams, a British expat. If you thought Marlboro country was just an advertising conceit, Huechahue will set you right. You don't have to be horse crazy to enjoy a stay here, but it definitely helps. The pony trek over the Andes is one of the most unforgettable experiences Patagonia has to offer. Just make sure you soak your butt in vinegar for a few hours each day before arriving.